The Auraceon Chronicles I: Shards of Aura
by InspireFire
Summary: Swift Firestorm is just your average tomboy who wanted nothing more than to become the world's greatest Pokémon Trainer. However, unexpected events twist her life in ways that cause even her best friends to wonder who she really is-or was.
1. Prologue: The First Scars

**Author's Note: **Hello everyone and welcome to TAC (short for the Auraceon Chronicles), which is my first fanfiction ever, honestly. I'm really looking forward to composing and completing this story, as well as improving my writing skills along the way. I would appreciate all (if any) reviews, whether they're positive or negative, so if you feel that there's something I should change or improve on, please let me know. :) Hope to see you around!

* * *

**Prologue: The First Scars**

It was as though the whole ocean had been poured out on her back.

Thunder boomed until even the ground shook with fear, lightning blazing mercilessly across the blackened sky and illuminating the world for just a split second before the world became dark once more.

And yet, the rain fell.

Each drop was like a hailstone pelting her on the head, scolding her for her actions while the sound and sight of the sky voiced its clear disapproval. But she ignored it, her turquoise hair and red uniform already soaked to the skin.

She stood in a small clearing in the middle of the jungle, the turbulent storm gusts tossing the trees around her to and fro like they had a mind of their own. A crack of thunder echoed through the atmosphere, and in the distance, a tree went up in flames. As it toppled to the ground with a loud crash, the rain put out its fire, and all was wet once more. Despite this, the girl did not stir.

"I'm sorry I made you do this," she said, after a pause.

There was a rustle in the undergrowth, and the figure of a boy emerged from the shadows.

"You don't have to apologize," he replied simply. The girl remained silent, not even turning to acknowledge his presence. She tilted her head upwards, letting the rain wash over her face.

"If they find out, though, you'll be in trouble too."

The boy stepped out into the clearing, a flash of lightning revealing his own drenched hair and similar attire.

"Yeah, I know. But I'm not going to regret it even if I do."

The girl nodded, keeping her gaze on the sky. Another rumble resonated through the clouds before she tensed and lowered her eyes.

"He comes," she stated, reaching for the device at her belt as she had so many times before.

The crunch of foliage emanated from the shadows before them, the leaves of the trees rustling under a sudden gust.

"I didn't actually think you would show up," a voice commented from the undergrowth. Its owner's silhouette became visible at the very edge of the clearing, stepping into it just enough to be noticed. The girl narrowed her eyes, but otherwise did not react.

"I thought you people were true to your promises," the stranger went on. "Tell me, what caused you to turn tails?"

"I'm not turning tails from any_one_ or any_thing_," she retorted. "I'm here to stop _you_."

The shadow uttered a small chuckle at her words, clearly amused.

"Is that so now? I think you and I both know the _real_ reason for your presence."

She bared her teeth, pulling the device free from her belt.

"If that's what you think, fine, but I'm not letting you get away with what you've done."

"What're you going to do?" he challenged softly. "Capture me with that toy?"

"No," the girl responded, undeterred. She glanced down at the blinking red dot on the screen of her handheld. For a moment, she simply frowned at it, the weight in her heart preventing her from making a move. Then she sighed, "I'm sorry...everyone," and switched it off. The screen flickered to nothingness as she jammed it back into place and faced her enemy with a hard expression.

"Let's go," she said, and thunder shook the skies.


	2. Chapter 1: Home

**Chapter 1: Home**

_My name is Swift Firestorm, and this is my story._

_Growing up, all I ever dreamed of was the day I'd finally be able to set forth on my quest to become the world's greatest Pokémon Trainer. I wanted to be a hero, back then...someone that everyone looked up to and acknowledged as the ultimate role model for society. Well, it's hard to say whether or not I actually achieved that childish goal, but one thing is for sure: things definitely didn't turn out the way I thought they would._

_Living through all those hardships was probably one of the best and worst experiences I've ever had. Without them, I couldn't have seen the world through new eyes and forged for myself a new understanding that once baffled me to the very core._

_And yet…...I can't help but wonder as to what might've happened if events had turned out my way from the very beginning. Some might say that it was fate for things to turn out as they did, but I don't believe in such things anymore. Things simply happen and we can't keep blaming them on fate. _

_Sometimes, even I find it hard to believe that fate _doesn't_exist. When you hear those reverberating footsteps, syncing up to the beating of your heart, you either have to pull yourself together, or watch yourself fall apart. That's when you begin to wonder whether or not there really is a "fate"._

* * *

The salty tang of the ocean air tingled in my nose as a light breeze swept past, tugging at my clothes. Glancing ahead, I could see the familiar plain of sand that was Pallet Town's local beach, along with the sea of green that seemed to stretch endlessly beyond it. Looking closely, I could also spot numerous houses that had been built not far from the sand, as well as a small hill with a windmill standing at its peak.

_Pallet Town,_ I thought, a ghost of a smile touching my lips as I disembarked the _S.S. Almia _and made my way down the pier. It had been four years since I'd last stepped foot in my hometown, shipped away with Hisa to the Ranger country of Almia by my aunt, Kamryn, despite the overriding protests of me and my two best friends. I wondered how much it had changed since the day I'd left—after all, it was a small town.

"THINK FAST!"

I recognized the voice almost immediately, jerking forward out of pure instinct to avoid the blow that I knew was coming at my back. Smirking, I pivoted on my left foot and swung a deft kick behind my back, saying, "You know you can't get me that easily," and felt my foot hit home. A surprised grunt came from the victim of my kick as he crumpled to the ground, curling up into a defensive ball as he wrapped his arms protectively around his midsection.

"Ah…...dang it that _hurt!_" he muttered to himself, sucking in his breath. "Dang it dang it dang it…."

"It's been four years and you _still_ haven't gotten any better?" I teased, looking down at the boy who lay sprawled out on the wooden planks. He glanced up at me with hazy eyes, offering a pained smile.

"I guess Riley was right when he said I still wouldn't stand a chance against you," he acknowledged, shaking his head. "I have to admit, Swift, that one really hurt."

"Sorry," I apologized, and helped him to his feet. The boy was about my age, with an average build and a few good inches over my head. His eyes were stormy blue, while his short, messy hair was colored a simple brown. He wore a simple orange T-shirt and jeans that looked like they had never seen a waching machine. "Still sloppy as usual," I observed.

"Yeah," he agreed with a small laugh. "Man, it's been too long." His name was Lance Kumori, one of my two best friends. He was known among our trio for being the most laidback and disorganized (seeing as how he loved to eat and sleep), as well as being our worst fighter. Despite that, he was always calm and optimistic about things, even though he wasn't the best Poké Ball on the belt. He cocked his head at me, as though something funny looking were on my face.

"I never knew you were so short," he said.

A flash of irritation erupted within me, but I couldn't bring myself to snap defensively back at him, even though I'd done so to many others before. After all, it was true—being fifteen and barely topping five feet had the word short written all over it.

"Oh really?" I questioned with a hint of sarcasm to hide my aggravation. "Well it probably means something if I was still able knock you down."

Lance's face became thoughtful.

"Come to think of it, you're right. Maybe being short has its advantages."

I smirked, the smoldering irritation within me suddenly quenched. Lance was the kind of simple minded person that you couldn't really stay mad at for long.

On the other hand, I wasn't the kind of person who stood out physically in any way; I was short, but not noticeably so. I had straight, black hair tied into its usual ponytail with bangs to the right of my face. My eyes were dark brown, and my build was mediocre enough to conceal the years of "self-defense" training I had undergone during a good portion of my life. My clothes didn't stand out much either, with sneakers, jeans, and a T-shirt being my regular attire along with a pair Trainer gloves and cross-belts that had been given to me as a farewell gift from my cousin in Almia. It had numerous depressions made to hold the various types of Badges currently in existence, along with enough space for one Pokémon team. So far, only one Poké Ball occupied the roster, but I planned to change that.

The wind picked up, rustling Lance's wrinkled clothes. It was then that I noticed something different about his appearance that hadn't been there four years ago. Dangling from his neck on a plain black cord was a miniature, cone-shaped sword—in other words, an actual lance. However, it was barely longer than my pinky, and was the same shade of navy blue as his eyes. I could just make out miniscule patterns carved into its surface.

"What's that?" I asked, pointing. Lance caught what I was referring to and reached for it, fidgeting with it between his fingers.

"Oh this? Well…..I found it," was the response. He quickly tucked it into his shirt and out of view, hastily adding, "You know, there've been a lot of strange things happening around here lately."

I frowned at this, but couldn't shake the image of the pendant from my mind.

"Really?" He nodded, gazing out to sea but not particularly looking at anything. An ominous mood seemed to have crept in, and it wasn't just your everday awkward moment.

"Things haven't been the same since you left for Almia," he explained in an enigmatic tone that I'd never heard him use before. "There've been incidents where people and their Pokémon show up unconscious by the side of the road coming into Pallet. Doctors can't figure out why they fainted, since they seem completely fine but...on top of that, the people stay in a sort of coma for two or three days, and when they wake up they can't remember what happened to them. Pretty weird huh?"

Pallet Town was the humble home of many talented Trainers, including the infamous Ash Ketchum; it wasn't every day that you heard about something like this going on. Besides, other places in Kanto (not to mention in other regions around the world) were having their own troubles as well—as far as I knew at least. Even during my time in Almia, things weren't always peaceful.

"Well, I can't say I'm too surprised," I replied, walking to the pier's railing. My footsteps thudded hollowly on the wooden planks as I did so, leaning on the eroded wooden beams. "You've heard of Akira Imai before right?" I queried, glancing back at Lance quizzically.

"Of course!" he burst excitedly, stopping himself a moment too late. I smirked in amusement and turned back out to sea, the beach at my right and the vast expanse of saltwater ocean at my left.

"Did you hear about how she disappeared?" The inquiry drew a pause from Lance, who later joined me at the rail.

"I thought that was just a rumor," he speculated, but I shook my head.

"No, it's true. A week or two before I got back here, the Ranger Union reported her missing. Apparently, she was supposed to be on some sort of extremely difficult and mission that was also really dangerous. They found her partner injured and unconscious in the middle of a forest, where most of the surrounding trees destroyed."

"Dang…...that's pretty serious." I nodded at his words, watching the ocean waves lap against the sides of the pier's supports.

Akira Imai was a child prodigy who, at the age of eleven, managed to pass the entrance exam into the Ranger Academy and had graduated from there within a few months. Then, she moved on to become one of the greatest Top Rangers to ever live, and wielded the only Vatonage Styler in existence. She was also rumored to have mysterious powers—powers that were said to make her primarily turquoise hair glow—which I found hard to believe. In any case, if someone like her just disappeared without a trace, things couldn't be good.

A short silence passed between me and Lance. In that moment, I thought about how nice it was to be home; nice to know that my friends hadn't completely changed while we were apart. However, once I remembered all the "controversies" we had just discussed, my mood soured a little.

"Well, on another note," Lance began, breaking the silence and pushing himself away from the rails, "we should get going. Everyone wants to see you." He smiled, taking off at full sprint towards land. "Come on!"

I grinned, the simple thought of being with everyone again filling my mind as I called, "Wait up!"and hastily sped up so I wouldn't be left behind.

The sun burst through the cottony clouds that drifted overhead, its shafts of light becoming visible in the blue skies that were a testament to what a wonderful day it was. And as the familiar rush of the ocean waves echoed in my ears, I thought that finally, I had come home.


	3. Chapter 2: The Full Reality

**Chapter 2: The Full Reality**

Professor Oak's laboratory was conveniently located on the top of a small hill, where both it and the windmill standing next to it had been built. The building itself was pretty small for a laboratory and rather homey—not complex like most research facilities. Looking at it gave me a warm, welcoming feeling as Lance and I climbed the concrete stairs.

"Why are we here?" I asked, puzzled.

"Don't you wanna see Professor Oak?" he questioned in response. He didn't look back as he spoke.

"Well yeah but…what about everyone one else? I wanna see Riley and Kamryn too."

"Don't worry! You'll get to see everyone."

I narrowed my eyes, sure that Lance was hiding something. Lance liked to hide his face when he was concealing stuff.

We approached the plain wooden door at the top of the steps and knocked three times. I braced myself in case anything should come flying out to greet me, but the only response we received was a muffled "Coming!" from within the lab itself. After a short wait, footsteps approached, followed by the clicking of locks and the turning of a doorknob. Once it opened, we were met by a man who was in his early thirties or so. He wore a customary headband that held back the strands of his black hair, a simple turquoise T-shirt and red shorts being his outfit.

"Oh, it's you!" he exclaimed, his face lighting up when he saw us. "Wow Swift, you've really grown a lot."

"Have I? 'Cause _someone_ thinks differently," I said, glaring at Lance. He looked away innocently, and the man at the door laughed.

"I see you haven't changed much, personality wise," he noted, pulling the door open wider. "Come on out back–everyone's waiting for you."

_Waiting for me?_I echoed as Lance and I followed our guide inside. _They'd better not be planning a surprise._

We entered more or less into a living room, but it was so sparsely furnished and piled with books, papers, and folders that it looked more like a recycling company.

"Filled with books, as always," I commented with a grin.

"Sorry about that," the man (whose name was Tracey Sketchit) apologized as he shut the front door. "The professor and I never get the time to clean up around here with all the research we're doing."

_I can see that, _I agreed, eyeing the empty pizza box that sat on the sofa. Tracey had been Professor Oak's assistant for as long as I could remember. He had first come to Pallet Town with Ash, whom he had met in the Orange Islands, and had decided to stay with the professor in order to learn more about Pokémon.

Tracey opened the door at the far end of the room, motioning for us to follow. I immediately braced myself, as it was impossible to predict what would come at me with Lance's figure obstructing my view. Even if he were my height, I still wouldn't have seen much because the ground sloped downwards from the backdoor. As it was, I raced to figure out what kind of greeting "they" would send me—the people who were "waiting" for me weren't the kind of people who would just jump out and shout "SURPRISE!"

Well, all I can say is that they got me.

Lance suddenly threw himself flat on the ground as we were heading out, and all I managed to see was a multi-colored blur and a giant lump of aquamarine before I found myself lying on the ground underneath something that weighed roughly thirty pounds. Laughter exploded in the background as I groaned, dazed, and tilted my head to see what had knocked me down.

Sitting on top of me with an ever-dignified look on its face was a familiar Ivysaur. The four legged Pokémon glared haughtily down at me with its scarlet eyes, its mouth curled into a sort of smile. Its skin was the shade of aquamarine that I had seen before collapsing, splattered with occasional patches of teal. A large rosebud sprouted from its back, overshadowing the Pokémon's face.

"An…Ivysaur?"

"Ivy-saur!" the Pokémon exclaimed in confirmation. It rubbed its face against my cheek affectionately, emnating a low purr. I looked over at the Grass Pokémon's pointed right ear, and saw a distinguishing scar curved around its base. I grinned.

"So you're Riley's Ivysaur right?" I asked. "Looks like you've grown bigger…and stronger too."

"Saur!" he agreed, and began rubbing my face once more.

"Welcome back," greeted a voice from somewhere above me. "That came out better than I expected." Ivysaur promptly got off, revealing the form of a boy with dark blond hair and deep hazel eyes.

"Riley," I acknowledged with a suspicious glance. "So _you_ set this up."

"Of course I did; who else could've done it?"

_Should've thought of that, _I sighed. Riley Arum, the third member of our trio, was the most methodical person I'd ever met. He had a fixed schedule for his everyday life and kept everything as neat and orderly as possible. I'd never once seen him wear unkept clothing or grow his hair out past his eyes. He was also a walking clock with an impeccable sense of time that was never off by five minutes.

"Fine, you got me," I grumbled, rolling my eyes as I got up and brushed myself off.

"So you admit it?" Riley questioned. "That's a first."

Another twinge of irritation sparked within me—when we were small, neither of us ever admitted defeat because of our competitiveness.

"I figured I might as well let you have this one now that I'm back ," I explained, smiling slyly. Riley snickered, but grinned anyway.

"We'll see about that," he responded.

"You've just seen each other and you're already at each other's necks," a voice commented with a chuckle. I looked past Riley and saw the slender figure of a woman approaching us. Her wavy hair was a deep, natural purple, with eyes that were a dark shade of lavender.

"Kamryn," I said simply out of recognition. Last time I had seen her, I had resented her for sending me and Hisa to Almia. I still held a small grudge against her for doing so, but I also knew that my time there had taught me some valuable lessons. She smiled at me, almost sarcastically. Kamryn was the kind of person who liked to tease people in an "I told you so" sort of way.

"Welcome back to Pallet Town, Swift," she greeted. Her tone was casual, showing no signs of emotion. "How was Almia?"

I hesitated, wondering whether or not I should go with my initial instinct and say that I wish she'd never sent me there. But in the end, I swallowed my pride and said, "It was okay, I guess. I mean I _did_ learn a lot from there, but—" Kamryn cut me off by abruptly wrapping the crook of her arm around my neck, squeezing the life out of me.

"See? What did I tell you?" she proclaimed loudly, tightening her headlock. I gagged as the air suddenly rushed out of my lungs and Kamryn shoved her face close to mine, a sly grin on her face and a mischievous gleam in her eye. "Now what was that again about Almia being a waste of time?" she asked, flashing a wink in my direction. I rolled my eyes–I guess I had forgotten that even though it had been four years, my aunt was still only twenty-one, a late sister from my dad's side of the family.

"Alright alright! I was wrong! Happy now?" I growled. Kamryn's smile broadened and she lifted her arm. In a lighter tone, she said, "Looks like I win. I _am _glad you're back though."

_Yeah, sure. _I grumbled. I had a lot of getting-back to do after four years.

* * *

Professor Oak had the same graying hair that seemed slightly whiter since I had last seen it, with the familiar crinkles at the corners of his mouth and eyes. His hands were thin from the years of research he had done, but he was still the kind professor I had always known him to be. He wore his traditional lab coat over a simple polo and plain trousers, as he always had no matter what the occasion.

"SWIFT!"

I suddenly found myself squished into a giant bear hug from Amber, Lance's younger sister. She now stood a slight half inch over me (despite the fact that I was a year older), whereas once she was miles below my chin. Her hair was a lighter variation of her brother's, while her eyes were colored a dark gold that had led to her name.

"Wow is that really you? You've changed so much! I can't wait to show you all my Pokémon! Oh yeah, I need to show you all my Ribbons to! Aww man we really need to catch up! And how—"

I coughed, feeling the oxygen leave my lungs.

"Oh, I'm sorry," she apologized, and released me from her grip. I sighed in relief as the air seeped back into my lungs. "I guess I got carried away."

"It's okay," I laughed. Amber beamed, as though she still recognized who I was and was glad that the person inside me hadn't changed. I felt likewise, as I didn't really have any female friends other than her and Kamryn. "So, how's it been ever since you became a Coordinator?"

"Great!" she exclaimed enthusiastically. "I really like bringing the best out in Pokémon, you know?"

"Yeah," I agreed, feeling all of my old excitement towards becoming a Pokémon Trainer return. I gingerly touched the single Poké Ball at my belt, feeling it twitch slightly in response. I knew that my partner felt the same.

"Let's eat!" Lance declared, running over to the nearby picnic table and making everyone laugh. It sat by the shore of a manmade lake occupied by various Pokémon, the majority of them being Water types. It was covered in a simple, vibrant green tablecloth, with balloons tied to its legs. What had caught Lance's attention were the numerous platters of food that had been set on top of it, making my mouth water. It wasn't long before I discovered that they had been made by either Kamryn or Riley, who were both excellent cooks but also highly competitive against one another.

We all joined Lance at the table, with us "kids" on one side and the "adults" on the other. I was sandwiched between Riley and Amber, while Lance was stuck on the end next to his sister. He didn't seem to mind as long as he could still reach the food. As we ate, I exchanged stories with everyone else and got caught up on the latest events. Kamryn elaborated on what Lance had told me earlier on the pier, saying that witnesses had always spotted an Aerodactyl kidnapping the victims the day before they reappeared the next morning. The information got me thinking, but I couldn't figure out why an Aerodactyl would randomly go out and kidnap people...unless it belonged to someone.

"So, when do you guys plan on leaving for your journey?" Tracey asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Tomorrow," Lance, Riley, and I answered simultaneously, glancing at each other in complete agreement. The adults blinked at us.

"Don't you think that's a little too soon?" Kamryn inquired. "I know you're all excited, but maybe you should think it over and wait a week or so―"

"No," I interrupted, placing my fork on my empty plate. Frustration was starting to build up again, the same frustration that I'd held for four years. "Four years is long enough."

"I agree," Professor Oak added, catching just about everyone off guard. "With things as they are these days, it would be safer if they were on the move. Otherwise they might be targeted." Again, I began to think about the Aerodactyl and the people-showing-up-unconscious events. What was going on, that things seemed to be so bad? We let the professor's words sink in, drawing a silence into the air.

"That reminds me," Professor Oak continued, breaking the foul mood that had settled, "I have a surprise for you."

"For me?" I asked, cocking my head.

"Not just for you, but for Lance and Riley as well," he said, looking at each of them in turn. The two boys immediately perked up, their curiosity aroused. I shared their inquisitive thoughts, as the Professor had never given us anything except for our first Pokémon. Oak nodded at Tracey and Amber as he said, "Amber, Tracey, if you would be so kind as to go fetch them from my lab."

"We're on it," Tracey responded, giving the professor a quick salute before leaving the table. Amber flashed a mischievous wink at us before following Tracey to the lab.

"SMILE!"

My head snapped towards the source of the voice while Lance and Riley suddenly squished next to me. I jerked my head away and threw my hands up in front of my face the moment I saw the glint of a camera lens, shielding myself from the menacing flash as it took the picture.

"Aww I was so close!" Kamryn moaned, confirming my success in avoiding the picture (I preferred staying out of them). I felt momentary relief at this, but it was soon replaced by a strange foreboding sensation as something else caught my attention.

When the camera had flashed, it had also lit up something shiny around Riley's neck. When I looked, I saw that there was a miniature axe suspended on a plain brown cord. Its handle was a dark forest green with silver patterns twisting over it. The blade itself was a lighter shade of green, and seemed to have an iridescent shine to it.

"You have one too?" I inquired, pointing at the weapon with a frown on my face. Riley looked down and quickly covered it up with hand.

"Oh, well, um―"

A scream suddenly pierced the air, causing everyone to turn just as a gust of wind blasted our faces and a giant shadow fell over the field. Shielding my eyes, I managed to spot what was going on.

Not far off, Amber and Tracey had just been about to enter the lab. What had caused Amber's scream was apparent: a large, gray Pokémon had swooped down from the sky and had taken hold of her and Tracey in its large talons. As it flapped its large, membrane wings, I could also make out a long snout with saw-like teeth, and a thick tail tipped with a spear-shaped point.

"Amber! Tracey!" Kamryn shouted. She jumped up from the table and ran towards the Fossil Pokémon even as it rose higher and higher into the sky, swiftly making its escape. Lance, Riley, the professor and I joined the pursuit as well, but we knew that there was no way we could catch up on foot. Kamryn slowed to a stop, punching a fist through the air in frustration. We all came to a halt beside her.

"Dang it," she breathed, "it's too fast... Why...why did this have to happen now?"

"I'll go get some Flying Pokémon," Professor Oak offered, already sprinting for the laboratory. I watched as the Aerodactyl's form continued to shrink rapidly over the horizon, not comprehending that one of the so-called kidnappings had just happened before my eyes.

_The nerve, _I thought, anger boiling within me as I clenched my fists. _Whoever's behind this isn't getting away with it. _Gritting my teeth, I reached for the only Poké Ball at my waist and enlarged it as I pressed its button.

"Swift, what're you doing?" Riley demanded, alarmed. "You can't-" But my mind was already set.

"Blaze, Hisakugen!"

The Poké Ball burst open the moment I tossed it up into the air, revealing the form of a large, coal-black Charizard. Its entire body was covered in scaly skin, the underside of its membrane wings colored a rich mulberry-maroon. His limbs, neck, and tail were thick with muscle while a bright orange flame blazed on its tail tip. The Flame Pokémon banked low to the ground, buffeting everyone with his wings as I jumped onto his back.

"After it!" I called, pointing at the gray form of the Aerodactyl. Hisa uttered a roar in consent, flapping his wings and rapidly gaining altitude as he picked up speed. They would not escape now.


	4. Chapter 3: Genesis

**Chapter 3: Genesis**

An endless expanse of trees rushed past beneath us as we flew, indicating that the Fossil Pokémon had led us northwest from Pallet Town. Whoever owned that Aerodactyl couldn't be just any regular person, considering the fact that fossils were pretty much unobtainable.

_Who would go through all this trouble? _I wondered. Real kidnappers wouldn't willingly hand over their victims after they'd just abducted them, and they weren't even after any valuables of some sort, so why bother? The nature of this kidnapping was unsettling, although I wasn't sure why.

An image of Riley's miniature axe suddenly flashed into my mind. Thinking about it gave me the same chills I had received when I had seen the lance dangling from Lance's neck. What was it about those two pendants that made me feel wary? I had an odd feeling that they were somehow connected to these events.

A plume of smoke blew out of Hisa's nostrils as he snorted, twisting his head so that a single indigo iris peered at me from the side. He had the kind of look in his eyes that said, "Don't worry, everything will be fine," as if he knew exactly what I was thinking. He usually did, since we'd been together for almost five years—ever since he was a Charmander. It was hard to imagine that there could be anyone in existence that I trusted more than Hisa. I relaxed, even smirked a little.

"Thanks, Hisa."

A faint screech from the Aerodactyl jolted me out of my thoughts. The Flying Pokémon had picked up speed, as though it were making a final attempt to pull ahead. Hisa snorted again in annoyance and accelerated–he wasn't about to let an enemy get away.

"Let's do this," I muttered, both to myself and to my companion. At that moment, a flash of light illuminated the sky, and had it not been for Hisa, I would've been toast. The air crackled to my left a split second after Hisa abruptly tilted in the opposite direction, and it was then that I realized that it had been a lightning bolt.

_Lightning? Wha–_

A beam of neon blue energy shot out from below us, which we also avoided thanks to Hisa's sharp instincts. I was almost one hundred percent sure that that was an Ice Beam, which meant that the Aerodactyl had reinforcements. Various types of long-distance attacks began to assault us from the forest below, all of which Hisa was forced to dodge. Thunder attacks fell from the sky like rain, while fire and ice lashed out at us from below.

_Did they bring a whole army? This is ridiculous! _Well, if you thought about it, we were probably dealing with some pretty ridiculous people. Soon, I noticed that the Aerodactyl was angling towards the forest below, almost losing us in the frenzy.

"There!" I shouted, pointing. Hisa surged forward in response, determined not to fall behind. At last we were able to fly free of the assault just as our target vanished beneath the canopy. Hisa banked into a steep dive, and I found myself squeezing my eyes shut—even on Hisa, I didn't do well with heights. Branches snapped and leaves rustled as we crashed through the undergrowth. I tried peek at our surroundings, but only caught fleeting images of green and brown.

However, as we neared the forest floor, I could also make out several shadowy figures. I automatically tensed in preparation to grapple with them, but as always, things never go as planned. Vines nearly as thick as my arms shot out from below and wrapped themselves around us. They pinned our limbs to our sides and yanked us down to earth. My stomach pitched as we fell relentlessly and landed with a loud crash on the forest floor, the impact of the fall absorbed by my front side.

"Hey!" I yelled, "What the heck..." More vines emerged to bind us, even as Hisa and I struggled against our bonds. A short, harsh chuckle soon introduced itself to our protests.

"Well boys, looks like we got a bigger catch than we were expecting."

The stranger's tone irritated me; it was smooth and arrogant, but challenging and rough. I tilted my head, straining just enough to fit the voice's owner within my field of vision.

A small group of men stood some distance from where we lay, about seven or eight of them altogether. They wore black uniforms consisting of plain pants, a collared jacket, and a red T-shirt. Tied around their heads were black and scarlet headbands, while their shoulders were mounted with gray, dully spiked shoulder guards. What stood out the most, however, were the yellow symbols etched onto the upper arms of their uniforms. It looked like a cross between the letter "V" and a trident, but not quite.

"You there," the voice went on, addressing me. Its owner was a tall man with deep blue hair and dark eyes. Unlike the men around him, he wore a gray variation of their uniform instead of a black one, probably indicating that he was their leader. "That's a nice Charizard ya got there. Wanna hand him over?"

A vibration rumbled beneath me as Hisa growled.

"Tch, like I would hand him to _you_." I spat. "Why don't you untie us and face us like a real man, huh?"

The corners of the man's mouth twitched in amusement.

"You have guts, little girl," he snickered, cracking his knuckles, "but I don't think you understand your position."

I bristled at the words "little girl", but hesitated as there was a loud rustle in the undergrowth, accompanied by the thud of heavy footsteps. The forms of three large Venusaur emerged from the shadows, stepping into the daylight to reveal their turquoise bulk. They glared down at us with their crimson eyes, the origins of the vines disappearing into the colossal flowers on their backs.

_Darn, _I thought, gritting my teeth as I cringed slightly. _This isn't good!_ Unfortunately, Pokémon vines were just as strong as chains—if not stronger.

"You can't threaten us with _Venusaur_," I responded, smirking. "If you think you're so tough, then why don't get your sorry be-hind over here instead of jeering from a distance, hm?" I felt the vines tighten around us as the man laughed.

"You really _don't_ understand your position, little girl. _I_ will be the one asking questions here, not you."

I bristled again—provoking him only seemed to be backfiring. In a fair fight, Hisa and I could have probably won...probably.

"Tell me, little girl, why are you here?"

_That's a stupid question,_ I thought, but said instead, "To find out why a coward like you would kidnap my friends and stop them while I'm at it?"

"Oh? And you believe you are capable of doing so?" The man asked with a chuckle. There was a smug smile on his face, which aggravated me even more. Hisa growled and shifted beneath the vines.

"You think we can't?" I challenged.

The grin on the man's face broadened, and I saw similar expressions spreading across the faces of his subordinates. A soft chortle escaped from his lips.

"Little girl, do you know what _aura_ is?"

_Aura... _I thought. The only thing that rang a bell were tales about the ancient Aura Guardians. According to legend, they had existed tens of thousands of years ago and were the greatest warriors to ever walk the earth. They were said to be fearsome because of their supernatural powers, which was kind of ridiculous if you thought about it. In any case, I kept my mouth shut.

"Sounds familiar, doesnt it?" he went on. "Here, little girl, let me show you just _exactly_ what aura is. Gentlemen, if you would."

His men parted, exposing a strange, cylindrical contraption. It looked like a machine, but it was black and had purple lines carved across its surface. Bound around the sides of the contraption were Tracey and Amber, along with a few other people I didn't recognize. All of the hostages seemed to be unconscious, their bodies bound with what looked like dark purple tentacles that pulsed continually.

"What _is_ that?" I almost burst, feeling a sudden urge to hurl. There seemed to be a vile presence emnating from the machine, if you could call it a machine.

"You'll see soon enough," the man replied, and approached the contraption. He pulled out a small, crystalline object from his pocket, which was about an inch and half long. It was pale, bluish-purple and had a lustrous coat. I flinched at the sight, feeling power radiate from it. Familiar chills began crawling up my spine.

To my surprise, purple tentacles emerged from the body of the device and wrapped themselves around the man's hand when he proffered it. He began to mumble something incoherent in a monotone voice. As he spoke, the stone began to emit a kind of light that grew steadily brighter. Its presence strengthened and expanded with the glow. It was _alive._

"And now, feast your eyes on this glorious sight."

A loud crackle suffused the air, and suddenly the entire machine was aglow with wisteria-colored light. Each captive's eyes snapped open as their screams pierced the air, a bone chilling sound that made my body stiffen like nothing else could. Their faces became translucent, some of their veins becoming prominent as though they were about to explode. The vines around them pulsed, a steady glow enveloping the man's body as though gallons of steroids were being pumped into him. His subordinates watched with confident, almost admiring faces.

_Monsters! _I yelled, clenching my fists in fury. Hisa snarled in disgust.

The victims' bodies went limp as the ordeal ended. Their faces were deathly pale and their eyes wide with what seemed like a fatal shock. I couldn't tell whether or not they were dead or somehow simply unconscious. I felt myself tremble, more with anger than with fear.

"Tracey!" I shouted. "Amber! Wake up, dang it!"

A chuckle escaped into the air from the man, turning into a demented cackle that echoed through the trees. He turned around, his mouth twisted into a satisfied grin.

_"This_, little girl, is _aura._" He let out another guffaw, holding out the stone in his palm. It glistened brilliantly in the sunlight, flaring bright with power. "Still think you can defeat me?"

"Screw you!" I spat. "You're gonna pay!" I writhed wildly, almost managing to slip out of the vines. But just as I began to inch out, they tightened around me once more, and I was grounded. I heard laughter break out from among the group of men.

"You're up next!" one of them jeered, pointing a crooked finger in my direction. The Venusaur automatically hoisted us up in the air, and something instinctively sparked in my mind.

"Hisa!"

The Flame Pokémon roared, and began spewing fire in every direction, blasting the Venusaur and singeing the vines that bound us. Angry roars of pain shook the atmosphere as the Grass Pokémon took damage, backing away as they withdrew their vines. We fell with a thud on the ground, immediately picking ourselves up.

"Don't get cocky now, little girl," the man warned, although his smile had faded. Meanwhile his men took up a formation around him.

"Shut up, coward! Hisa, take care of them!" I called, referring to the Venusaur. I launched myself forward, already planning out my attack route. Seven adults were a lot for someone small like me to take down, but I didn't have much of a choice. I had to make it back to Pallet Town and tell everyone what was going on; I couldn't become another victim.

"Get 'em, boys."

The man's subordinates reached for the Poké Balls on their belts, sneers spreading on their faces.

"What's that for?" I spat, lunging and taking them out with critical blows to their weak spots. They clearly weren't prepared for a fist fight, since their Poké Balls flew out of their hands before the creatures inside could be summoned. _Pathetic._ I landed a heavy punch in the last man's midsection, and he keeled over in pain and collapsed. I spun around to confront the leading man, but surprisingly found that he was no longer there.

"Looking for someone?"

I whirled around, only to feel a rough hand grab me around the neck and lift me up into the air. I clawed at it vigorously, but its grip was as hard as steel. A booming laughter exploded inches from my face.

_Dang it...when did he move?_

"What was that again about me being a coward?" he mocked. His body began to glow lavender, and I felt an overwhelming presence begin to choke my throat. "We'll see who's laughing in the end."

I turned my head as an enraged roar caught my attention. The remaining two Venusaur had muzzled Hisa and pinned down his wings with their feet. Both suffered severe burns, but they managed to restrain Hisa with their vines.

"Hisa!"

"You should be more worried about yourself," the man growled, his grip tightening around my neck. "I'll destroy that arrogance of yours once and for all, little girl!"

"No!" I yelled. I couldn't lose here. The stone vibrated, and the glow around the man's body intensified. Excruciating pain suddenly seared through my body as an invading evil tugged at my mind sharply, like it wanted to tear out my guts. I bared my teeth to hold back the scream that rose in my throat, wanting to separate myself from the force. But no matter how hard I fought, the cords of power leeched off of my being, rewarding me with more and more pain. In the distance I could hear Hisa growling in frustration.

The man's voice reverberated through my mind, although I couldn't hear his words. My vision began clouding over in darkness, and I could feel my consciousness fading, being devoured by the overwhelming power that must have been "aura". Images flashed through my mind, of Tracey, Amber, Hisa, and the other victims of this mysterious power. No one would remember what happened to them when they woke up, and neither would I. My body fell limp as its strength was drained. Would I live? Would I forget everything? Another surge of pain dulled my thoughts, and sleep called to me like Pallet Town had while I was in Almia. Yes...sleep...

And then, I rebelled. I rebelled against the pain, against the force that sought to absorb me. I latched myself onto the power that was stealing my soul and absrobed it into my own body, strength pouring into my limbs.

"Wh-what is this?" the man exclaimed, trying to regain control. But the energy already suffused my body, flaring white all around it.

"You...are going to pay," I growled. The power that had accumulated within me blasted outwards, hitting the man so hard that he flew across the air. I landed on my feet, stretching out an arm.

"Who are you?" he demanded, the glow fading from his body. He got shakily to his feet, clearly afraid as he pulled a gun from his belt.

"You care about that now?" I hissed. "You should've thought of that before messing us."

I felt something flicker in my palm and grasped it, feeling it soldify in my hands.

"You little girl...you're a disgrace!" he shouted, taking aim. "DIE!"

I charged at him, wielding my held item in both hands. I didn't remember ever feeling so light. I closed the gap between us before he could pull the trigger, restraining his gun arm with my left. His eyes widened.

"Oh by the way...don't call me 'little girl'." I said, and thrust the object in my hands forward. A flash of white light exploded from it and blasted the man back once more, his steaming body slamming into a nearby tree. Behind me, the Venusaur bellowed angrily and launched vines in my direction.

"Don't even bother." The remaining power in my body exploded towards the two Grass Pokémon, blowing them back and knocking them out at the simultaneously. Afterwards, it began to receed slowly from my body until it had completely vanished.

My knees buckled, and I found that I no longer even had the strength to lift a finger. I hit the ground hard, my heart heart beating wildly. It was then that I bothered to look at what had materialized in my hand.

My fingers were still partially curled around the silver hilt of an iridescent, double-edged sword. The blade itself was pure white, and had a black symbol etched near the cross guard. Similar patterns were carved into its handle.

_A sword….?_

Even as I watched, the weapon began to glow and sizzle, shrinking until it was barely pinky-sized, a simple chain attached to its hilt. Lance's lance. Riley's axe.

Well then.


	5. Chapter 4: Mysteries

**Chapter 4: Mysteries**

_I stood before a tall, iron gate with black bars whose shadows stretched across the ground. It was an extravagant gate, crafted with care and creativity. Through its bars I saw a wide, open field, with a large building resting at its center. _

_"That's the Ranger Academy," said a voice to my left. "It's where people who want to work for the Ranger Union get their training."_

_

* * *

_

I woke up.

I was staring up at an old advertisment for the Pokémon League that had been taped to the roof five years ago, judging by the date. That was the year I was supposed to become a Trainer.

_Where am I?_

I sat up, looking down at the familiar, Pokémon-patterned sheets sprawled around me. I soon recognized the cream carpet and cerulean walls of my Pallet Town bedroom, which were covered in posters of Pokémon. A desk, bookshelf, nightstand, and dresser lined the perimeter of the room, the only basic furniture other than the bed that I sat on. Various figurines and (shh) stuffed animals of Pokémon were displayed in numerous places. Two windows embedded in the wall streamed rays of sunshine from between their half-closed blinds. I blinked, confused as to why I was sitting in my room.

It wasn't long before the memories came rushing back to my addled mind, and I briefly was able to recall the sound of wingbeats and alarmed voices before passing out. Kamryn and the rest of our crew must've found me at that moment.

_Well that's nice to know_ _,_ I thought. I only had to wonder where everyone was as of that moment and whether or not they had captured those thugs. As eager as I was to find out, my entire body whined for sleep, aching as it would after a good forty-five minute run on the treadmill. Taking another nap wouldn't be so bad...

Suddenly, a knock resounded off of my bedroom door, jolting me awake once more.

"Gah," I grumbled, somewhat frustrated. Of course they would knock right when I was going back to sleep. But then again, I was a deep sleeper."Come in."

The door creaked open, swinging ajar until it was parallel with the wall. Riley stood in the doorway with Lance, an amused grin on his face.

"Finally awake, huh Snorlax?" he asked. My irritation suddenly flared, even though I knew that he was obviously joking. "So, how do you feel?"

"Snorlax? We'll see who's the Snorlax once I bust your sorry butt, especially for what happend at Oak's lab," I growled.

"She seems fine to me," Lance chimed in with a grin. Whether or not he had really acknowledged my words was a mystery to me.

The two friends entered my room, Lance jumping into my desk chair and spinning himself in circles while Riley leaned against the wall thoughtfully. I sat back on my bed, yawning and wishing I could curl up under the sheets.

"So, Swift, what happened back there?" Riley went on casually. "Why'd you pass out?" I glanced over at him inquiringly. Didn't he and the others find that man and his minions sprawled out around the clearing? I asked him, and he shook his head. "We only found you, Hisa, and the other victims when we got there." I felt myself frowning at this; that couldn't be right. I explained to them what happened as best as I could, although the details started to become vague the closer I got to the end of my tale.

When I finallly finished, there was a slight pause. Riley sighed and pulled out an unknown object from his pocket that glinted in the light.

"Catch."

With a swift movement, he tossed the item in my direction, which I caught with ease. It was cool and smooth as it slid into my palm, and I opened my hand to discover that it was the same small sword that I had last seen before passing out.

"We found that with you while you were unconscious," he explained. I scrutinized the miniature weapon, finding it hard to believe that it was previously a full-length sword. Meanwhile Lance and Riley pulled out their own shrunken weapons, reminding me that something must have happened to them both as well.

"What happened to you two that made you want to hide these things?" I queried. If something similar had occured to them, then why did they ask me what had happened when they surely must've known?

"Well, we didn't all go through the exact same thing, and no one else knows about it," Lance said simply, as though it were obvious. "What happened to us happened when we were alone. If we told people about it, they'd think we'd all gone insane."

Lance had a point, even though he made things sound so simple. Assuming that when he said "we", he meant that only the three of us had any recollection of such events, which also limited the chances of people believing our stories. The real question now was what to do about it.

"Well," Riley began, "now that the three of us are caught up in this conundrum, maybe we should find out more about these things and what that man meant when he talked about 'aura'." He twirled his miniature axe between his fingers as he spoke, a thoughtful look in his eyes. Maybe he was getting an idea as to what the connection could be between those two things. I wanted to know as well, but I was also dying to find who exactly those men were and what they were up to. They would pay for what they did to Tracey and Amber, and to Hisa as well. Of that I was sure, and to do that there was only one thing we could do.

"When we were small, we were always saying how we wanted to be the greatest Pokémon Trainers in the world, remember?" I asked, grinning as I spoke. "Well, why don't we get started?" Riley flashed a cocky smile at my words, which meant that he was aiming for that subject the whole time.

"I thought you'd never ask," he said. My spirits revved up in a way that they hadn't in a very, very long time. Despite the mystery that was in our hands, we were finally going to become Pokémon Trainers! "We should probably tell our parents," Riley suggested. "We need to start preparing."

At that moment, a fragrant aroma wafted into the room, making me wonder just how long I had been asleep.

"Come on," Lance prompted, already on his feet halfway out the door. "It's dinnertime!"

"Hey wait up!" Riley called, dashing out the room after him. "Come on Slowpoke!"

"What, so now I'm a Slowpoke?" I shouted, smirking to myself as I glanced down at the little sword that was still in my hands. Without a second thought, I looped the chain around my neck so that the weapon was hidden underneath my shirt, and darted after my friends.


	6. Chapter 5: Departure

**Chapter 5: Departure**

At first, Kamryn had tried to argue when I told her that we would be leaving on our Pokémon journey, but in the end she merely shrugged and said, "It's your life." After that, she didn't say much for the remainder of my stay in Pallet. I had a funny feeling that she wasn't mad at me, even though I couldn't think of any other reason for her to clam up.

We spent the next day preparing for our trip and visiting Tracey and Amber. Unfortunately, it didn't look like they were going to wake up any time soon, which meant that they would not be able to see us off the following morning. I felt a little guilty about leaving them in such a state, but there wasn't anything I could do for them except take up space. The world outside was waiting for us, and I wasn't about to sit around and twiddle my thumbs.

* * *

The following morning brought us to the little hill in the road that connected Pallet Town to the city of Viridian. The sun was rising over the peaks of the mountains when I arrived there with Kamryn, its rays spreading light and warmth over the face of the earth. Professor Oak and Riley were already waiting for us at our destination.

"Well _someone_ made it here on time," Riley grumbled. He was wearing a green, plaid shirt with a plain, black T-shirt underneath it. With that went his favorite pair of blue jeans and new sneakers. I could also see the cord of his axe hanging around his neck. "Where's Lance?"

"Probably oversleeping," I said, the corners of my mouth twitching in amusement. "Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be here soon."

"He'd better be," Riley muttered, adding other inaudible words to his threat. In my mind, I began to urge Lance to hurry up, because it looked like Riley had woken up on the wrong side of the bed.

"It's still pretty early—I'm sure being a few minutes late wouldn't hurt," Oak chimed in. I glanced over at the old man, wondering if he had forgotten just how easy it was to get on Riley's nerves when he was agitated. Maybe when he said he was getting too old for things, he actually meant it. Fortunately, Riley didn't seem to have heard his comment.

A few minutes passed as the four of us waited for Lance to show up. I rolled my stiff shoulders and fingered Hisa's Poké Ball impatiently, eager to be on our way. I was wearing a new white hoodie over a cerulean T-shirt and jeans, under which the miniature sword hanging around my neck was concealed. I didn't want to have to answer any questions about it, so it was better to keep it hidden.

"Hey guys!"

We all turned in the direction of the voice, soon spotting Lance's form approaching us in the distance, his hand waving in greeting.

"Lance, you idiot!" Riley yelled. "What took you so long?"

"Calm down man…at least he showed up."

It took another few minutes for Lance to reach us, time by which Riley had calmed down to his usual self. We greeted each other with high-fives before Professor Oak cleared his throat and brought out a small wooden chest that he had been carrying under his arm.

"What's that?" Lance inquired, pointing. The professor unlatched the top of the chest in reply, exposing three Poké Balls nestled in black velvet. My friends and I stared at the spheres incomprehensively.

"You remember that I had a surprise for the three of you on the day that…incident occurred, don't you?" he asked, as though that would answer our question. "Well, this is it."

The three of us continued to stare, not knowing how to react.

"Professor," Riley began, the first among us to stir, "we can't just accept something like this. We wouldn't be able to repay you." Lance and I nodded in agreement—we would've felt bad if we just took free Pokémon without earning them.

The professor let out a sigh, but a grin spread across his face.

"I should've known you'd say that." He proffered the box, a twinkle lighting his eye. "If you won't take them as a gift, then consider this as a request."

I frowned, puzzled.

"Why a request?"

"The Pokémon inside these Poké Balls have led harsh lives until they came into my care. They're not very trustful of humans, and the fact that they were made unique outcasts them from other Pokémon."

_Made unique? _I echoed. He made it sound as though someone had manufactured them.

"I would like you three," he went on," to give them a brighter future so that they won't have to live knowing only what they've been through."

A pause followed Oak's words as we each considered the idea from a new perspective. Riley, again, was the first to respond:

"Well…if you put it that way…"

Each of us reached for a Poké Ball simultaneously. I grabbed the one that was closest to me, feeling the cold metal orb slide into my hand. Suddenly I was aware of all the responsibility that lay behind the task of raising the Pokémon inside.

"We won't disappoint you," I promised, attaching the Poké Ball to my belt. I felt excited about the fact that I finally had more than one Pokémon on my team.

"I'm sure you'll all do fine. Now, let's send you guys off before the day grows older, shall we?"

I glanced up at the sky, which was beginning to turn pale yellow. Soon it would become its usual shade of blue.

"Yeah, come on guys!" Lance called, taking off down the road. "Let's go!"

"I'm surprised he's getting a head start for someone who's always late," Riley grunted. "Wait up!" With that, he darted down the path after Lance. I turned and faced Kamryn, who had been standing by us silently.

"Well, see you when we get back."

For a moment, she didn't answer, and I was afraid of the possibility that Kamryn actually _might_ be mad at me. But then she stirred, and managed a small smile.

"Alright then, Swift. Go out there and have fun."

I nodded, returning the grin. Perhaps she wasn't mad at all. Without looking back, I ran down the road after my friends. After all, our dreams lay at the other end.

* * *

They watched as Swift, Lance and Riley disappeared over the next hill. By the time they had done so, the sun already hauled itself over the horizon.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Professor Oak asked, a concerned look planted on his aging face.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Kamryn challenged. "Of course I'm sure." A silence passed between them as they continued to look out over the landscape, and Kamryn's eyebrows furrowed. Maybe she wasn't so sure after all. "Well, it doesn't matter at this point—Swift is better off making her own decisions and being out in the world than being stuck in here…or in Almia."

The professor sighed, and suddenly he was beginning to look very old indeed.

"Perhaps….but are you sure they'll approve of this? It might not necessarily be safe."

"Safe? Nothing's safe these days." Kamryn turned and began walking back into town. "Besides, they were the ones who begged me to help."


	7. Chapter 6: The Enigmatic Evo Pokémon

**Chapter 6: The Enigmatic Evolution Pokémon**

The road from Pallet to Viridian wasn't long—maybe around two miles or so. Fortunately for us, we weren't planning to go any further than Viridian, so we could take our time getting there and still be able to relax once we arrived.

Route 1 was mostly made up of grassland, with sole trees dotting the terrain and tall grass covering the ground. In the distance, smudges of green and gray were all we could see of wooded areas and mountain peaks.

As we walked, the three of us chatted about the things we were looking forward to, along with the different kinds of Pokémon we wanted to catch. Lance showed me his Squirtle, who hadn't yet evolved but had grown quite large since I'd last seen him, and introduced me to his Pidgeotto, whom he had caught and trained as a Pidgey. Seeing this only made me that much more excited to proceed in our journey and become stronger along the way. Those Pokémon weren't going to catch and train themselves, you know.

* * *

The suburban city came into sight before noon, a hazy shape outlined ahead of us on the horizon. Its buildings were of moderate height, composed mainly of short office buildings and tightly packed houses with small yards. People strolled the sidewalks, giving its streets a populated feel—not too crowded, not too lonely.

It didn't take long to find the Pokémon Center with its notorious red roof and Poké Ball logo, although we did have to drag Lance away from a few restaurant windows before we got there. Upon arriving, we checked into a room and ate lunch in the Pokémon Center's cafeteria, both of which were free courtesy to travelling Trainers.

"Man, that was good," Lance said, stretching. "Free food isn't all bad." The two of us burped simultaneously, earning a strange look from Riley. I smiled innocently up at him; hey, better out than in as they always say.

"It was _okay_," he commented with a sniff, deciding not to address our abrupt sounds. "Chicken was a bit dry. Soup could use more salt." I rolled my eyes at him, but of course, he was just being Riley. He didn't like to think of anyone as a better cook than himself, which is why he couldn't work with other people in a kitchen.

I mimicked Lance's stretch as we exited the cafeteria and made our way to the Pokémon Center's training grounds. Lance and Riley were raring to battle one another, which meant that I would be stuck watching or training solo; it wouldn't have been fair for me to use Hisa against them with the size-and-strength advantage that he possessed, but it sure made me feel frustrated.

The training ground was pretty vast, with plenty of practice fields outlined in the dirt. There were also pools, obstacle courses, and many other types of fields and training equipment. Benches were set up all over the property, shadowed by trees and lining the sides of the battlefields. Trainers milled everywhere throughout the area.

"Well buddy, looks like we're on our own for now," I sighed, crossing my arms as Lance and Riley took their positions on a vacant field. Hisa snorted and let out a small whimper, as if to say, "Aww man." I fingered his Poké Ball thoughtfully with a sigh before I remembered that his was no longer the only one on my belt.

_That's right…there's still the Pokémon that Professor Oak gave me. _I plucked the second sphere off my belt, surprised that I had forgotten about it so quickly. My partner gazed at the red and white orb, sniffing at it inquiringly.

"Let's find out who our new friend is, shall we?" Hisa offered an enthusiastic snort, a plume of smoke rising from his nostrils. What kind of Pokémon did Professor Oak give us? I positioned myself for the release, burning with curiosity. "Go, Poké Ball!"

The Poké Ball sailed into the air, popping open in mid-arc and unleashing a jagged beam of white light that descended onto the grass. There, it began materializing into a small, four-legged form with slender, pointed ears and a bushy tail.

"Oh hey…it's an Eevee," I stated, feeling excited for the tenth time that day. The Evolution Pokémon had tan colored fur covering most of his body, with a fluffy cream collar surrounding his neck and a similar coloration tipping his tail. He surveyed his surroundings warily, but held a calm composure. "Hey there, Eevee! How's it going?" I greeted. "I'm Swift, and this is Hisa. I'm going to be your new Trainer, so let's work hard together, okay?"

Eevee's head snapped in my direction, and suddenly I found myself staring into the coldest, most piercing eyes I had ever seen. Only now did I remember Professor Oak saying that the Pokémon he gave us were highly distrustful of humans. Hopefully, that wasn't an understatement.

Hisa grunted, shifting. I could tell that he was baffled about his new teammate, and swallowed anxiously, suddenly having the urge to crawl back into my nice, comfy bed in Pallet Town.

"Don't be like that," I coaxed, extending my hand. "Come on—we'll make a great team." Hisa punctuated my words with a friendly growl, neither of which lifted the hostile look on Eevee's face. I stiffened, racking my mind for other techniques to try. Usually, the friendly approach got through to most Pokémon. Of course, I'd met my fair share of rowdy ones, but I'd never seen one so cold-looking before.

"Eeee!" the Normal type snarled, spreading his legs in preparation to pounce. His eyes flared a golden orange as the fur along the edge of his spine shot up. I took a step back, alarmed. This...was definitely not normal. Another round of "Eeee!" sent sparks flying from the Evolution Pokémon's pelt, and my sanity must've bailed on me, because I was pretty sure that Eevee couldn't learn any Electric attacks.

"H-hey I didn't mean to offend you―"

And then he leapt. The Evolution Pokémon came at me so fast that I didn't even realize he had moved until he slammed into my stomach. I fell back with an involuntary cry as small bursts of electricity sparked my body. Now, I've been electrocuted by a Pokémon before, but I don't remember any of those other times hurting as much as it did now. Instinctively I shoved the Evolution Pokémon off my body, jumping to my feet despite the aches that were quickly developing where the electricty had made contact.

But Eevee wasn't done yet. He lunged almost immediately after he got to his paws, but this time I was prepared. I sidestepped the attack and tried to grab hold of the furry Pokémon, but snatched my arms back as he snapped his jaws at me.

"Eevee, calm down!" I shouted as a yellow bolt of energy soared over my head. I gazed into the Normal type's glowing, fiery eyes that seemed to be filled with nothing but hatred. "We're not your enemies!"

Eevee either didn't believe me or didn't care—or maybe both, because he rammed into me before I could react, throwing me back a good several yards. Air suddenly rushed out of my lungs, rendering me almost immobile.

"Stop!" I ordered, getting to my feet. The command must've come out louder than I thought, because several Trainers in the area immediately turned their heads, and Eevee suddenly stood stock-still (although his expression didn't change). I ignored the stares that were directed at us and aimed the Poké Ball back at Eevee. "Eevee, return!" A red beam shot forward from the Poké Ball's button, enveloping the Evolution Pokémon and withdrawing him back inside. I exhaled in relief, grateful that I was able to withdraw him before he had done any real damage.

"Look out!"

Before I knew it, two strong, green vines had bound my entire midsection, pinning my arms to my sides.

"What the heck…...?"

"Saur!" Riley's Ivysaur blinked up at me, the beginning ends of the vines originating from the giant bud on his back. "Saur?" The Seed Pokémon cocked his head, clearly confused as to why he had caught me.

"Squirtle-squirt!" cheered the Tiny Turtle Pokémon who stood on my opposite side. His skin was sky blue, with a large brown shell covering his torso and a curled tail sticking out of its rear. The Water Pokémon looked quite happy about the fact that I had been tied up.

"Swift, are you okay?" Lance called as he and Riley ran over from their sides of the battlefield.

"Yeah," I replied, rolling my shoulders as Ivysaur released me from his vines.

"What happened? We heard you shouting something about an Eevee."

"Well, that's what's in those Poké Balls that Professor Oak gave us." I reported, frowning.

"Just an Eevee?" Riley asked, puzzled. "Don't tell me you got thrown into the middle of our battle by a little Eevee."

"Oh trust me—it's not just any Eevee," I said, letting out a small laugh. "I would be careful if I were you."

Of course, I probably shouldn't have said that, knowing that my friends only become more curious when someone admonishes them. Before I could argue, both boys drew their Poké Balls and released their contents. Within an instant, everything became chaos.

Lance's Eevee was no less aggresive than mine, but the problem was that the supposed Normal type spewed fire. That's right: fire. The Evolution Pokémon almost cooked us all for dinner before Hisa restrained her with his clawed hands, the flames having no affect on his scaly skin.

Riley's Eevee was probably the most well-behaved of the bunch, but at the same time she wasn't completely obedient, either. When Riley tried to approach her, we were forced to dodge numerous shots of pressurized water (which, in case you don't know, can really hurt). She didn't seem interested in having any contact with us, and left us alone when we kept our distance.

"You were right," Riley admitted, raising his eyebrows once he had withdrawn the Evolution Pokémon. "Those aren't just any Eevee."

"Got that right," I muttered. Our first day away from home was turning out to be quite eventful.


	8. Chapter 7: Onwards

**Author's Note: **I would have put this chapter up sooner, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been experiencing that error message that keeps popping up.

For those of you who still can't update: when you click on the name of your story to edit it, just change the word "property" to "content" in the address bar, and there you go :) (Just so you know, I got this information off of 's facebook page xD)

Anyway...I revised Chapter 4-6, but all the basic information is still the same. I think I'll be running occasional revisions like that throughout my story to make sure that I'm doing my absolute best. Well, here's Chapter 7. Don't forget to review! :)

* * *

**Chapter 7: Onwards**

Training no longer seemed like a great idea after our ordeal with the Eevee, and none of us could figure out how three Normal type Pokémon could generate attacks that were impossible for the rest of their kind. Saying that they were unique was just the tip of the iceberg. In any case, we departed the following morning for Pewter City, the site of our first Gym battle.

We made our way towards Viridian Forest, which separated us from Pewter City. It was well known for its variety of wildlife, a fact that my friends and I soon got to experience firsthand. I was going to need another Pokémon if I hoped to win the Boulder Badge without having to use Hisa, and Eevee certainly wasn't going to be much help.

First, Riley and I both spotted a Pikachu, which was one of the rarest Pokémon around. We argued competitively over who was going to catch it since we'd both seen it at the same time, but in the end, Lance caught it while we weren't looking.

"And you thought _I_ was slow?" he teased, happily twirling the Poké Ball on his finger. Riley and I had glared at him, twitching in agitation. We decided not to answer him.

Further down the road, I almost thought that Riley had lost his mind when he randomly threw a Poké Ball into the undergrowth. When he retrieved it, however, he opened it and revealed to us the magenta form of a Nidoran and the fact that he was still sane. I began to think that I really _would _have to use Hisa in my Gym battle if I didn't catch anything before we arrived in Pewter.

Soon enough, however, I spotted a round, purple form sitting in the branches of a tree. Two long, white antennas protruded from the top of the Pokémon's head, somewhat erect over a pair of large, ruby, compound eyes. A pair of short, clawed hands grew out from underneath its miniature pincers, while two, flat feet kept it balanced on the branch which it stood on.

Without really thinking, I hurled a Poké Ball through the air, hoping that somehow I would be able to catch the Insect Pokémon. It might have been disadvantaged against Pewter City's Rock type Gym, but hey, it was better than nothing. The Bug type disappeared with a flash of red light, and the Poké Ball snapped shut, shaking violently on the forest floor. After trembling once, twice, three times…a chime filled the air, and the sphere was still.

* * *

"Sleep Powder!"

The bud on Ivysaur's back began to quiver, releasing a wave of glittering blue powder that drifted towards us. Just looking at the attack made me drowsy, but I knew that drifting off now would be consequential.

"Quick, use Supersonic!" I ordered. My newly caught Venonat immediately began to emit a high-pitched, squeal-like sound from his antennas, releasing yellow sound waves that caused the air to waver. The powder dissipated on contact, although our attack hadn't reached the target. "Now, close in with Tackle!"

The Bug Pokémon leapt through the opening in the Sleep Powder, swiftly barreling towards the Grass type. That was when Riley smirked.

"You haven't lost your touch, have you? Even still…you can't close the gap between our Pokémon's strength. Ivysaur, if you would."

Before I could comprehend Riley's words, vines shot out from the Seed Pokémon's bulb, swatting Venonat into the air. Without a moment's hesitation, a barrage or razor-sharp leaves flew from Ivysaur's back, buffeting the Insect Pokémon and blowing him back towards my side of the field.

"Venonat!" I called, reaching out to catch the Bug Pokémon. His purple fuzz was patched with dust, and his antennas drooped over his eyes.

"Veno-nat…" Venonat's usually clear voice was faint, a clear sign of his defeat.

"You did a good job today," I praised. It was the truth, considering the fact that I had only had him for a few hours. We had arrived in Pewter a short while ago, but the sun was already beginning to set. Using our last few hours of daylight to train seemed reasonable, although Lance had made a bee line for the cafeteria as soon as we checked into the Pokémon Center.

"Are you ready for the Gym?" Riley asked after I had returned Venonat to his Poké Ball. I frowned at him, wondering why he would ask such an obvious question.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

Riley withdrew his Pokémon, returning the Poké Ball to his belt and stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Well," he began with a shrug, "in case you haven't noticed, none of your Pokémon are exactly…..._effective_ against Rock types."

I froze, suddenly realizing that Riley was right. Charizard were twice as vulnerable to Rock type attacks, even though I was sure that Hisa could easily defeat the Gym Leader without so much as a scratch. Eevee was out of the question, and a Bug type like Venonat was susceptible as well.

"I'll figure something out," I said stubbornly. "I just need another day."

"Why don't you just use Hisa and take them out?" Riley suggested. There was a hint of cockiness on his face, as if to suggest that using Hisa was equivalent to cheating. I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I'll do it I_ without _Hisa," I asserted. "Or at least, he'll be my last resort. That's why I need another day." Riley's expression fell, as if he hadn't thought that I would actually do it.

"But...won't figuring out how to defeat a Rock type Gym with only a Bug type to use take a long time? Besides, you won't be able to watch Lance's match or mine if you're too busy training."

"Yeah," I sighed. "But hey, there's still the rest of the Pokémon League to go."

"True."

_That's why I need to build up on my other Pokémon as much as possible,_ I thought. _I can't win the Indigo League with just Hisa. _

And so, our training began.


	9. Chapter 8: Suspicious Works

**Author's Note: **Yeah, I know, short chapter. The next one will definitely be a lot longer, but I hope this one's is enough to satisfy you guys until then. :)

* * *

**Chapter 8: Suspicious Works**

I sighed, probably for the twentieth time that morning. It was a nice day and all, but with Lance and Riley gone at the Gym, things were just a bit too quiet.

"All right Venonat, let's try that again." I said, focusing once more. "Confusion!"

The Bug Pokémon immediately took on a blue glow around his body, hefting a good-sized boulder into the air without lifting so much as a finger (that is, if Venonat has fingers). Almost as soon as it was airborne, the stone was jerked downwards and rammed into the ground, sending up a spray of dirt before levitating once more. Venonat repeated this process several times, strain gradually becoming evident on his face until he dropped the rock with a huff. "Veno-nat…"

"Good job," I praised. "I think that's enough for now." _But will it be enough to defeat the Gym? _I wondered. I glanced down at Eevee, who was sitting nearby grooming himself without acknowledging my presence. I assumed that the only reason why he hadn't attacked me after I had risked releasing him again was because he didn't see me as much of a threat to him. "Hey, we could really use your help."

The Evolution Pokémon fixed his hate-filled eyes on me, his pelt sparking a bit as he did so.

"Venonat's working really hard, and you could make a big difference in our Gym battle. Isn't that right, Venonat?"

"Veno!" The Insect Pokémon agreed, nodding his whole body.

"Eeee!" Eevee growled, getting to his paws. I took a step back and held my hands up in surrender.

"Fine! Be that way. Just keep your cool…" Eevee turned away with something like a "hmph" and stalked away. I sighed again, shaking my head. _Someone's got an attitude._

A moment later, an eerie sensation suddenly settled over my body, kind of like when people say that "someone's walking on my grave". I paused, chills crawling up my spine. Something told me that I was being watched.

I instinctively directed my gaze towards the outskirts of the training grounds, where the rest of Pewter City extended past the low, wooden fence...and froze. There, standing underneath the shade of a tree on the outer side of the fence was a lone boy.

He couldn't have been any older than me, but it was hard to tell since because of the scrapes and smears of dirt that obscured his face. His black hair was a disheveled mess, as though someone had tried to cut it with a chain saw. A beat-up backpack sat by his feet in no better condition than his torn clothes. Even Lance had never looked so shabby—and that was saying something. The boy was staring straight at me, something like disbelief and shock on his tired face. I returned the stare, simply because I didn't know how to react.

_Why is he staring at me? And who is that guy anyway?_

"Veno!" The Insect Pokémon cried, tugging on the leg of my jeans.

"What is it?" I asked, tearing my gaze away from the strange boy to look down at the Bug Pokémon.

"Veno-nat!" he exclaimed, pointing in the opposite direction with a stubby paw. I followed his gaze, soon spotting what had caught his attention.

A group of four men ran through the streets, pushing past people who got in their way and shouting something that was inaudible from where I stood. I almost cringed when I realized that they were wearing the same black uniforms and red headbands as the people that I had seen only days ago.

_Them! What're they doing here?_

I watched as their patrol stopped at an intersection, apparently not being able to find what they were looking for. They huddled for a moment, and then they split up and took off in different directions.

_I wonder what they're looking for. _I thought. They couldn't be up to any good. I considered following them in order to determine what their objectives were, but I couldn't tail four people at once. Besides, I didn't want things to turn into a big mess like last time.

"Hey Venonat," I said, facing the Bug Pokémon. "In case I needed it, would you be able to track down those four guys we just saw?" The Insect Pokémon blinked, then nodded, causing his whole body to bob up and down. "Veno-nat!"

"Good. Thanks." I smiled to myself, grateful that Venonat possessed radar vision. I had a feeling that I would be seeing those four thugs again sometime soon.

I turned and glanced back at the spot where the boy from before had been standing, but he was no longer there. I had a funny feeling that I would be seeing him again too.


	10. Chapter 9: Rocks That Don't Roll

**Chapter 9: Rocks That Don't Roll**

The Pewter City Gym didn't just specialize in the usage of Rock types, but it was also composed entirely of rocks. At first glance, it looked like a huge heap of boulders with a pair of light brown doors and the words "Pewter City Gym" carved into the topmost stone. Well, I guess it was pretty creative, but it looked like a caveman's house if you asked me.

I proceeded alone through the Gym's double doors, which groaned loudly as I pushed them open and entered a relatively dark room. It had a high ceiling from which numerous spotlights were suspended, spreading light over a battlefield lined with jagged boulders.

_It's just like they said, _I thought, examining the field's layout. _It's all rocks…_

Lance and Riley had returned from the Gym yesterday with victorious grins on their faces and Boulder Badges gleaming in their hands. They had spent the whole night illustrating their battles to me over and over again until I finally got tired of it and mentioned what I had seen while I was training. Riley concluded that he and Lance should search for those thugs while I had my Gym battle…alone.

_Some friends, _I grumbled. Despite that, I understood Riley's curiosity; I was eager to find out who those people were, but simply thinking about them wasn't going to get me anywhere.

"Hello?" I called, my voice echoing around the room. At least, if I lost to the Gym because I restrained from using Hisa, Riley wouldn't be there to say he told me so. "Anyone home?" A brief pause followed my inquiry, soon accompanied by the sonorous creak of an opening door at the far end of the room. A man around his late twenties or so with dark, spiky hair and tanned skin entered. His narrow eyes were a trademark of his identity, one that no one could have missed.

"Do you wish to challenge this Gym?" he asked.

"Yeah," I replied, stepping further into the Gym. "You're Brock aren't you?" A small smile appeared on on the Gym Leader's face, as though pleased at being recognized.

"That's me alright. Usually people don't have to ask." He stepped onto the battlefield, taking his place in the Trainer's box. In the light, I could see that Brock wore a simple T-shirt and vest, along with a pair of cargo pants and sneakers. I remembered that he had worn similar attire during his travels with Ash Ketchum, which had been filmed and broadcasted to every around the world. "And who do I have the pleasure of battling today?"

"Swift Firestorm," I stated, assuming my own position, "from Pallet Town." I couldn't resist a small, proud smile at being able to say that.

"Pallet Town huh? I have a feeling that this will be an interesting match." Brock cleared his throat, and said in a louder voice, "Very well, then. This battle will be a basic two-on-two match. Only the challenger–that is, you–will be allowed to make substitutions. Are you ready?"

My heart began to pound in anticipation, and I swallowed, replacing any doubts I had with a smirk.

"I was ready years ago," was my reply, and I spoke out of rectitude. How long had I been waiting for moments like this? Brock nodded at my response, and drew a Poké Ball.

"Now then, my first choice will be…Geodude!" The Poké Ball sailed into the air, and a rugged form materialized on the Gym Leader's side of the battlefield. It resembled a roughly spherical rock with a pair of eyes and a mouth that made up its face. Extending from either side of its head (body?) were a pair of muscular-looking arms.

"Geo!" the Rock Pokémon cried, hovering above the ground as it flexed its arms. I drew Venonat's Poké Ball from my belt, already having anticipated Brock's choice.

"Go, Venonat!" The Bug Pokémon emerged from his Poké Ball, his antennas twitching alertly as he scrutinized his opponent. "Veno-nat!"

If Brock was surprised about my choice, he certainly didn't show it, and neither did his Pokémon. Instead, he pointed at Venonat and said, "Let's begin, then. Geodude, use Rock Throw!" The Rock Pokémon gouged a chunk of earth from the battlefield and hurled it easily in our direction, quickly sending two or three more flying after it.

"Dodge it and close in!" I ordered. The Insect Pokémon leapt around the boulders' path and began charging as fast as his little feet could carry him. This was the easy part; if all went well, we'd soon be battling against the Gym Leader's final Pokémon. If not...well, we'll see. Brock shouted another command, and Geodude suddenly flew full-speed at Venonat. "Slide and use Supersonic!"

By the expression on Brock's face, I could tell that he hadn't been expecting that. The Insect Pokémon threw himself sideways on the ground, sliding smoothly underneath Geodude as he was passing overhead. The faint, yellow rings of Supersonic soon became visible as the Bug Pokémon emitted them from his antennas, easily reaching their mark.

"Geo…dude?" The Rock Pokémon asked, wobbling slightly in the air.

"Confusion!" Venonat's body took on its usual blue glow, enveloping Geodude with it and lifting him higher into the air. "Vennnoo!" I hoped that Venonat would be able to hold out long enough to defeat Geodude with one attack. My victory without using Hisa depended on that. "Nat!" The Rock Pokémon was slammed into the ground repeatedly, gradually enlarging a dent in the ground. By the time Venonat was done, a large crater had formed around him.

"Ge-e-o-d-dude…" Geodude moaned, then collapsed in the center of the pit. Brock raised his eyebrows, clearly surprised.

"You're pretty tough," he commented, returning his Pokémon. "Is this your first Gym battle?"

"Yeah," I said, my ego swelling with pride. The Gym Leader smirked at this, and I tensed slightly, because I had a pretty good guess as to what he was about to do. This would be, by far, the toughest part of the match.

"I guess it's time to go hard on you, then." Brock concluded, drawing another Poké Ball. I braced myself for the release, almost certain of the mechanical orb's contents. "Go, Onix!" He flung the Poké Ball into the air, releasing a large, serpentine form that could have easily surpassed the height of the ceiling. The Pokémon's body was composed of various boulders in decreasing size, with a flat, vertical horn protruding from the back of his head. It was just as I predicted. Venonat flinched as the Rock Pokémon fixed his eyes on him and uttered a low growl.

"V-Veno-n-nat..."

"It's alright," I assured him, even though I wouldn't want to be standing underneath a twenty-foot-long snake that wanted to turn you into a pancake, either. Did I mention it was made of stone? "We're not giving up yet are we?"

Venonat perked up at my words and shook himself, recomposing his stance. "Veno-nat!" he cried with more confidence.

"Well then, let's continue." Brock went on. "Onix, Rock Throw!"

My first thought after hearing that order was,_ Oh, they're going to chuck some more rocks at us? Pssh, bring it on!_ But when the giant Rock Snake Pokémon swept its tail across the field and sent an entire avalanche of boulders flying towards us, I froze, and thought, _Oh snap, we're screwed._

"Dodge it!" The Bug Pokémon threw himself out of harm's way, maneuvering over the rocks on the battlefield in order to dodge the barrage. "Supersonic!" Venonat bounded forward, once again releasing the high-pitched sound.

"I'm not falling for that again. Onix, Screech!" The Rock Pokémon inhaled deeply, loosing a terrible scream from its toothless mouth. It sounded like nails scraping against a chalkboard, except ten times louder and ten times worse. I covered my ears to block out the sound, but even still its force rattled my eardrums. I had always needed a loud alarm clock, but this was going way too far. The attack was so powerful that Venonat was blown backwards by its force.

"Hang in there Venonat!" The purple Pokémon got to his feet, shaken from the effects of the Screech. This wasn't good.

"Maybe I've overestimated you," Brock said with a thoughtful expression. "Let's try a Rage attack!" Onix bellowed, his eyes and body obtaining a slight red tinge as he charged headfirst at Venonat. I gritted my teeth, not wanting to give up just yet.

"Let's prove him wrong, Venonat! Quick, latch on!" Venonat launched himself into the air as the Rock type approached, grabbing onto its horn before it could react. "Now, Stun Spore!" The Insect Pokémon began quivering from head to toe, releasing a cloudy yellow substance form his fur. As it spread over Onix's body, the Rock Pokémon's movements became stiff and sluggish, and he roared in annoyance as sparks sprang from his rocky hide. "Confusion!" The Bug Pokémon began glowing once more, enveloping Onix with the same light. However, as Venonat tried to execute the attack, Onix began to buck, rebelling against the force of the Confusion.

"Looks like you won't be proving me wrong just yet," Brock observed. "Use Slam!"

The Rock Pokémon quickly got his acts together, bellowing as he managed to toss Venonat off his head and swing his tail at him, swatting him into the air like a baseball.

"Venonat!" I called. The Insect Pokémon tumbled across the ground, shakily trying to push himself up onto his feet as he stopped, but collapsed on the spot.

"Looks like your Venonat is unable to battle," Brock announced.

_Thanks for pointing that out, Captain Obvious. _"You were great today, Venonat. I really appreciate it," I said with a small, grateful smile. Venonat offered a weak buzz as I returned him to his Poké Ball, and suddenly I found myself stuck with the decision that I had wanted to avoid.

_Who should I send out now?_ I wondered. Eevee probably wasn't going to cooperate, but I didn't want to tell Riley that I chickened out at the last minute and used Hisa in the end. I plucked Eevee's Poké Ball from my belt, hoping for the best. _Alright, let's try this._ "Come on out, Eevee!" I swallowed anxiously as the Evolution Pokémon emerged on the battlefield, grooming himself without really acknowledging the fact that he had been released. _Oh great. _Meanwhile, Onix cocked his head at his new opponent, while the Gym Leader, again, showed no signs of surprise at my decision.

"Let's make this quick, Onix," he said. "Use Slam once more!"

The Rock Pokémon raised his tail, its shadow extending over the spot on which Eevee sat. The Normal Type continued to lick his paws, apparently unaware of the fact that he was about to be crushed by an enormous stone tail.

"Eevee, look out!" I warned. Eevee's head snapped in my direction, his brown eyes suddenly fierce as he snarled. "Eevee, we don't have time for this!"

"Eeee!" His eyes flared gold as he began to charge at me a split second before Onix's tail descended. It crashed into the ground, missing Eevee by a hairsbreadth while clouds of dust billowed in every direction. The Evolution Pokémon halted, his ear flicking in annoyance. I prayed that Eevee would be aggravated enough to attack Onix instead of me.

After what seemed like an eternity, Eevee swiveled around and faced Onix, much to my relief. Unlike Venonat, Eevee was completely unafraid of the fact that Onix was twenty times larger than himself. His fur began to spark as he positioned himself to pounce.

"Quite an interesting Eevee you have there," Brock commented with a hint of curiosity, but otherwise remained indifferent. "Onix, Bind!"

The Rock Snake Pokémon lashed out with his tail again, slowly closing it around Eevee. However, the Evolution Pokémon jumped above the confines of his tail in the blink of an eye, racing up Onix's body with perfect balance. His tail began to obtain a metallic glow, and when he reached the Rock Pokémon's neck, Eevee jumped, flipped, and slammed it onto the back of Onix's head. A deafening roar shook the room as the upper half of the Rock Pokémon was knocked low to the ground.

_What the heck was that? _I thought. I'd never seen such a small Pokémon with physical capabilities of this level. It was almost mindblowing. _I've never seen an Iron Tail like that. How strong could Eevee be? _

Somersaulting once and twisting in midair, Eevee landed another Iron Tail on Onix's back, driving him to the ground with a loud crash. With a few more aerobic stunts, Eevee landed gracefully on all fours.

"Onix!" Brock cried, almost shocked. The Rock Pokémon shifted, and started to rise slowly. "Just a little more Onix—we can do this!"

But Eevee had other ideas. As the Rock Pokémon erected himself, Eevee vanished in a blur of tan fur and reappeared at Onix's head, ramming into him with such force that the Rock Pokémon fell back and fainted on the spot. I stared, completely stunned at what I had just seen. These Eevee had to be on steroids!

I quickly withdrew these thoughts as the Normal type started to stalk towards me with sparks flying from his pelt, positioning himself to pounce.

"Eevee, calm down!" I shouted frantically, raising his Poké Ball. "Return!" With a flash of red light, the Evolution Pokémon was gone, and I finally relaxed. At least we had managed to defeat Brock. "Thanks, in any case," I muttered.

"Well that was unexpected," Brock noted after a pause, withdrawing his defeated Pokémon. "Tell me, where on earth did you get that Eevee?"

"Professor Oak gave him to me," I replied. A peculiar expression spread across the Gym Leader's face, but I couldn't quite place a finger on his thoughts.

"He must really trust you if he gave you a Pokémon like that," he said, clearing his throat. "In any case, as the Gym Leader, it is now my duty to present you with the Boulder Badge." The Gym Leader produced a small, dusky gray object from his pocket, holding it so that the light glinted off of its octagonal, facetted surface. I stared down at the Badge, semi-awed, like it would disappear at any moment.

"Well…thanks," I said, resisting the urge to gawk at it until I was able to accept the fact that it was mine. I fit the Boulder Badge into one of the empty depressions on my belt, proud that it was no longer empty. Finally, I was one step closer to the Indigo League, with seven more slots to fill before I could challenge the Elite Four.

"That was probably one of the most peculiar battles I've ever had, but still, I enjoyed it," Brock said, offering an amiable smile. "Good luck on your journey." I thanked Brock once more, then turned and exited the Gym in high spirits. The moment I was out the doors, I broke into a run, eager to share my victory with Lance and Riley. At last, I had gotten my first Badge!

_Wait till Riley hears about this! _I thought, a wicked grin creeping onto my lips.

An unknown force unexpectantly rammed into my side, sending me to the ground with a loud "Oof!" as I rolled to break the fall a little. After a while, I sat up to massage my aching side with a grimace.

_Ack…...what the heck was that?_

I looked up, still wincing when I spotted the boy from yesterday sitting up nearby, groaning. He was just as disheveled as when I had last seen him, although in the sunlight he looked worse. His rugged backpack lay on the ground beside him, splattered with dirt.

"What was that for?" I demanded, too irritated to ask who he was. "You should watch where you're going."

The boy merely blinked, looking rather surprised.

_"Me_?" he asked. Something in his voice was stern, and yet afraid at the same time. "What're _you_ doing here?"

"What?" I opened my mouth to say more, but someone else spoke first:

"There he is!" I looked and saw that four men had come to a stop just around the corner of a nearby block. I cringed, realizing that they were the same suspicious men that I had seen only yesterday, clad in their equally suspicious uniforms. The boy spotted them as well, and was up on his feet in a flash, his backpack already slung across his shoulder.

"Get away from here: now!" he shouted, and took off sprinting down the street.

"Hey!" I shouted, getting to my feet, but the four men surged past before I could move, shoving me to the ground once more.

"Outta the way girlie!" one of them shouted as he swept past. I sat up again for the second time, staring blankly after the backs of the pursuing thugs. Suddenly, I was beginning to feel very, very annoyed.

First my good mood had been spoiled. Then they went and had the nerves to push me down and call me girlie? I cracked my knuckles.

Those thugs were in for a good beating.


	11. Chapter 10: Confrontation

**Chapter 10: Confrontation**

I came to a halt, panting, at the top of a small hill that overlooked a wide road passing between the trees. I had pursued my targets deep into the secluded area of a city park, where the chase had finally come to a close. The four men had, at last, overtaken the fleeing boy and pounced on him, confiscating his backpack as they did so. At the sight of that, I'd slowed my pace and decided to be a bit more discreet—having been misled by my annoyance, I hadn't actually given any thought as to why he was running from those men in the first place. Settling my scores would have to wait.

I watched as two of the thugs pulled the boy up from the ground by his worn shirt, flipping him around and slamming back-first against a lamppost. Their hostage began to struggle, but was soon silenced by a swift punch to the face.

_That's gotta hurt, _I thought with a wince, considering how beat up this kid already was. His captors began to speak, but I was too far away to make out their words. Meanwhile, the other two members of their party began to empty the contents of the boy's backpack onto the street. As far as I could tell, there were only a couple of small books and empty bottles that might've, at one point, contained some sort of Pokémon medication. _What could they be looking for?_

In any case, I wasn't just about to sit around and wait for something to happen. Those guys wanted something, and things weren't going to turn out pretty. Rolling my shoulders, I left the cover of the trees' shadows and descended down the side of the hill. The men's backs were turned against me, so they hadn't noticed my presence just yet. Creeping up behind one of the men imprisoning the boy, I smirked, thinking what a nice surprise he was about to receive.

"Hello _girlie_," I greeted. The man's head whipped around in alarm.

"Wha―"

I lashed out with my arm before he could finish the thought, punching him square in the cheek. The man stumbled away from the lamppost in surprise, clutching the side of his face. Meanwhile his comrade whirled around, only to receive a quick kick to the gut before falling back with a moan as well. I stuck my tongue out at them.

"Ha! That's what you get for calling me—hey!" I suddenly found myself being dragged away by the arm, towed by the boy who had been helpless only moments before. "Hey!" I repeated. "I wasn't done!"

"Are you crazy?" the boy shouted. "I thought I told you to get away from here!"

"And who said I had to listen?" I spat, tearing myself free from the boy's grasp. I stared him down in the eyes, one of which was beginning to swell. He looked even worse now, except now he had a hard look on his face. "I don't know who you are, but I'm not about to start taking orders from you."

"We don't have time for this!" he growled back, exasperated. "You don't know what these people are capable of. Now come on!" He reached for me once more, but I backed out of the way, bristling.

"Look, I just saved your butt. The least you could've said was 'thanks'." The boy opened his mouth to snap back, but by then the four men had regrouped and began speaking.

"Hey you!" yelled the man whom I had hit first. "Who do you think you are, running around and punching people like that?"

I turned to confront the group before me, ignoring the "Stop!" that was hissed in my direction.

"So you really felt that one didn't you?" I asked with a hint of sarcasm, cracking my knuckles emphatically. "Well, let me ask you this: who do you think _you_ are, pushing people out of the way and calling them 'girlie' huh? I think you deserved that punch."

"Why you―" One of the man's comrades waved a hand in front of his face, which was beginning to redden from the blow he had sustained.

"We apologize for any…_inconvenience _that we may have caused," he began in a more polite tone. "Now if you don't mind, please hand over that boy and we promise we won't disturb you again." An ominous pause followed the man's words, and I could sense the boy behind me tensing and freezing on the spot. For a brief moment, I actually began to consider the reality behind his warnings.

_So they really _do_ want something from him,_ I thought. _No, they want _him_ specifically. But why? _I examined my potential enemies, but as far as I could tell, they were just an oddly-dressed bunch who was prone to up-front assaults. Was there more to them than it seemed? _Nothing's ever as it really seems, is it? _I spread my feet apart, assuming a readily stance. In any case, this kid looked like he had tied himself to a rampaging Tauros that had dragged him halfway around the world just to escape from these people. He couldn't have had much of a fight left in him.

"You might not disturb _me_ again, but I'm pretty sure you'd disturb other people to get what you want," I said. "Knowing that, I don't think handing him over would be such a good idea."

The expressions on the men's faces darkened, especially on the ones of those I had ambushed.

"I think you're underestimating us, kid," one of them snarled. "Hand over the boy, and we'll leave you alone."

"Now would be a good time to run," the boy murmured. "I appreciate you trying to help me, but there's no way a Trainer like you with only one Badge will be able to defeat these guys."

I shot him a venomous glare, almost involuntarily, and if it weren't for the fact that I was defending him, I might've punched him right then and there.

"_Only_ one Badge?" I echoed, aggravated. "You know how glad I was at winning this _one_ Badge? I nearly got myself electrocuted to win it, and here you are making my hard work sound worthless." _Not to mention you were the one who ran me over after I got it too. _I bared my teeth in annoyance, rolling up the sleeves of my hoodie. _I'll show him who's boss. _I redirected my attention, facing the thugs once more. "Sorry, but you'll have to get through me first if you want him back."

The men snickered, each drawing a Poké Ball from his belt.

"Very well then—we'll have to seize him by force. Go!" Four Poké Balls flew into the air simultaneously, each releasing a beam of white light that materialized into a different Pokémon. The first was a Machoke, whose grayish-blue skin was bulging with muscles. Its arms were streaked with thin, red lines, while three ridges protruded from the top of its skull. Around its waist went an item that looked something like briefs with a wrestling belt.

The second form belonged to a Weezing, whose body was composed mainly of two round forms stuck together, one being larger than the other. It was covered in bumpy, lavender skin marked with an oval ring and crossbones beneath its two droopy faces. Next to it was a rugged form similar to that of Brock's Geodude. The Rock Pokémon's evolutionary, Graveler, was much larger, however, in comparison, and had four arms rather than two. It stood on a pair of small feet that were barely visible beneath its bulk.

The final Pokémon was a sleek, bipedal Golduck with smooth blue skin. The back of its head tapered into four points while its mouth extended from its face in the form of a bill. Each of its clawed hands and feet were webbed, giving the impression that it was a rather talented swimmer.

"Not bad," I observed, a small smile already spreading across my face, "but if you wanna beat me, those Pokémon had better be stronger than they look." I plucked a Poké Ball off of my belt, enlarging it before tossing it into the air. "Blaze, Hisakugen!"

The Poké Ball popped open, and soon Hisa's dark form had developed on the makeshift battlefield. He flexed his wings, arching his neck and uttering a loud roar at which the opposing Trainers jumped at. Even the boy seemed taken aback.

"You…you're…!" he began, clearly at a loss for words. His face bore the same surprised and disbelieving expression that it had when he had first seen me at the training grounds.

"Surprised?" I asked, grinning. "You'd better be." To my opponents, I said, "Well then, let's get this started." The bunch snickered, clearly not impressed with Hisa.

"Having a pretty Charizard ain't gonna help you win, kid. Attack!" The four Pokémon charged at the given command, each closing in from a different angle. Hisa snorted at their words, offended.

"My Charizard is a_ he_, thank you," I asserted. "Calling him 'pretty' probably isn't a good idea, is it, Hisa?" The Fire Pokémon growled in reply, the flame on the tip of his tail flaring angrily. Hisa felt the same way about being called "pretty" that I did about being called "girlie" or "little girl". Those Pokémon were in for a beating. "Take care of them however you'd like, pal."

The corners of Hisa's mouth curled in something like a smile, and he bellowed, prompting a red glow to settle over his body. I took a few steps back, pulling the boy along with me.

"_Now_ would be a good idea to step away," I said. Meanwhile, Hisa had positioned himself for the attack that he was about to launch, even as the distance between him and the enemy continually shrank. The countdown began in my head.

_Three...two...one…now!_

At that moment, the opponent had just come within range of Hisa, but it was already too late. The Flame Pokémon took a deep breath and exhaled, loosing a powerful explosion of flames that blasted the four Pokémon backwards and sent them careening into their owners with cries of pain. The attack was so powerful that the ground vibrated from its force, also sending a hot wind into our faces. I lifted a hand to shield my face from the heat, thinking that Hisa was probably overdoing it. Hopefully, he wouldn't start a forest fire.

When the attack finally subsided, all that was left of Hisa's opponents were four smoking forms covered in various burns. Even the Golduck hadn't been able to withstand the attack with his type resistance. Steam coiled from the blacked spots on the road, carrying with it the smell of burnt asphalt.

I watched as the four men rose from where they had fallen, brushing soot from their uniforms but otherwise appearing unharmed. They examined the scene before them with sneers on their faces.

"Darn you, kid," one of them grumbled.

"This isn't good!" another added, withdrawing his defeated Pokémon and backing away. "Let's get out of here!" His comrades seemed to agree with unspoken consent and took off running down the street after returning their Pokémon. The man whom I had punched, however, marched forward defiantly, his cheek already swollen to a decent size.

"You'll pay for this!" he shouted, jabbing a finger in my direction. "No one belittles the great Clan―" His partners dragged him away before he could finish, obviously eager to be gone.

_Clan?_ I echoed, puzzled. Despite my curiosity, I waved at the fleeing patrol, a victorious smile spreading across my face.

"Bye!" I shouted, as though our battle had been nothing more than a tea party.

"Wait till I tell my boss, you dirty little—!" And then they were gone.

_Well then, _I thought, already inquisitive about the new piece of information I had received. I turned to Hisa, who had a rather smug look on his face.

"Show off," I teased, flicking him playfully in the snout. The Flame Pokémon snorted indignantly, as if to say, "Never!"

"What kind of attack was that?" the boy asked, finally stirring from his state of awe.

"A modified version of Blast Burn," I replied proudly. "Instead of invoking energy from the ground to create an explosion, Hisa absorbs the energy into his body and channels it into a Flamethrower." Hisa growled agreeably, his chest swelling with pride. It had taken a good year or so for the Flame Pokémon to master that technique, time which was spent quite well considering how long we were in Almia (and the fact that we wanted to stop blowing up roads and parks every time we used that move).

"I see," the boy said, now having finally regained his composure. His black eye had grown to its fullest now, obscuring some of his vision. If it bothered him, he certainly didn't show it. "Well, I should get going now." He moved forward to collect his scattered belongings, acting as though he had merely dropped his backpack. I blinked, not being able to comprehend his passiveness towards the whole situation.

"Hold on a minute," I called, realizing that letting him go would also mean letting go of the potential to learn about who those strangers were. I wasn't going to get much of a hint out of the word "clan" (even though it was better than nothing), and I still had to ask him why he was being hunted down in the first place. Besides, he wasn't going to make it very far looking the way he did; at the very least, I knew I wouldn't. "You're not going anywhere looking like someone's punching bag."

The boy continued to gather his stuff, shooting me a warning glare.

"I appreciate you trying to help me, but I can take care of myself," he grumbled darkly, jamming empty bottles into his backpack. "Besides, if you don't have to listen to me, I don't have to listen to you either. I'm grateful for your help and everything, but I really have to ―"

"Would you like another black eye?" I asked bluntly, raising my fist. I would hate to beat up someone who was already injured, but there was no way I could let him go without some answers. "If you can take care of yourself so well you would've done so to begin with."

The boy's head snapped in my direction, his gaze becoming filled with more and more anger. For a moment, he just continued to leer at me, and I began to wonder if he intended to do so until my eyes burned out.

"…Fine," he grumbled at last, and then continued to pick up his stuff without another word. He obviously didn't want another beating.


	12. Chapter 11: More Mysteries

**Chapter 11: More Mysteries**

"Whoa, what happened to you?" Lance asked, referring to the guest I had brought back. "Did you get beat up by a gang or something?" I shot my best friend a warning look, although it was already too late to take back his words. Already in a foul mood, the ragged boy abruptly turned his face away—kind of like how my Eevee did, but with less attitude.

"No," he retorted indignantly. "Mind your own business."

"I was just asking..." Lance mumbled, shooting me an inquiring glance. I returned a flat stare to suggest dropping the subject, while Riley wasn't looking all too pleased with our visitor either. I had dragged a reluctant Kai (which was his name) all the way back to the Pokémon Center on the other side of town, where Lance and Riley had been training after their own search for the strange men.

"That's some attitude for someone who looks like they just climbed out of a dumpster," Riley commented with a sniff, eyeing Kai's torn clothes. "Come on, we should clean you up." He began to exit the room that the three of us shared, gesturing at Kai as he did so.

"I'm fine," Kai insisted, looking almost annoyed. Riley then whirled around and gave him such a dangerous glare that Lance backed down even though it wasn't directed at him. It wasn't every day that Riley offered to do something nice, and insulting that hospitality probably wasn't a good idea.

"_Come_," he repeated, and Kai quickly followed, despite his reluctance. Anyone could tell that getting on Riley's bad side would probably be one of the worst mistakes of their lives. The door shut behind them as I plopped down on the lower half of my bunk bed, which was across from the one that Lance and Riley shared.

"So, why'd you bring back a hobo?" Lance queried, leaning back against the white walls of our room.

"He's not a hobo, I think," I said, although to be honest it was hard to tell. "Remember those weird people I was telling you and Riley about? Well, they wanted to catch him for some reason."

"Maybe he stole something," Lance suggested idly. "You know, 'cause he's a hobo...?"

"You can't assume that every homeless person steals you know," I asserted with a slight grin. "But I have a feeling he knows something important." Lance yawned, crawling into his own bunk bed.

"Let's hope he was worth the trouble," he mumbled, and a moment later he was fast asleep. I sighed, shaking my head. After all _that,_ he'd better be worth the trouble.

* * *

Later, around dinnertime, Riley returned with Kai, who was looking much better in a new black jacket, shirt, and jeans. Most of his cuts had been cleaned and dressed, while his black eye had already begun to fade. He was also looking more calm and collected than before, compared to his previous let's-run-away frenzy. Lance and I glanced up from our meal in the Pokémon Center's cafeteria, which was beginning to fill up with Trainers boarding up for the night.

"Took you long enough," I noted, swallowing my food.

"_Someone_ was taking his time picking out clothes," Riley said, rolling his eyes at Kai. The person he was talking about stood at a little distance from our table, as though to appear like he wasn't a part of our bunch.

"At least he doesn't look like a hobo anymore," Lance muttered, but with his mouth full we could barely comprehend his words.

After dinner, the three of us dragged Kai back to our bedroom for some questioning, which he didn't look all too happy about. He also didn't resist, however, which seemed rather odd for the kid who didn't even want our help just a little while ago.

_Well, it's not like we know anything about him,_ I thought, _other than the fact that those guys wanted to turn him into a knuckle sandwich._

I climbed into the topmost bunk of my bed once we arrived in our room, while Lance curled up in his and promptly fell asleep. Riley plopped down on the couch, and Kai simply stood by the door, probably eager to be gone.

"So, what do you want?" he asked bluntly, sighing. He looked tired now, as though he had used up all of his energy picking out his clothes.

"Why were those people chasing you?" I asked. Usually it wasn't a good idea to be straightforward with touchy topics, but since he asked I might as well be.

"That's...not really any of your business," he said in a rather monotone voice, looking down at the gray carpet.

"Well, considering we went through so much just to get you cleaned up, I think it kind of is," Riley growled. He looked bothered by the fact that we had helped him without receiving so much as a word of thanks. Kai sighed again.

"Well...I guess you could say that I have some debts to pay."

"Debts?" I echoed, frowning. Those group of men looked like the kind of people that would owe _you_, not the other way around. But then I thought back to the bunch I had met back in Pallet Town. It was harder to say if you put people like them in the picture. "What kind of debts?"

"The kind of debts that you wouldn't want to have to pay back," he replied darkly. Well, that put an end to that subject.

_What kind of debt could be that bad? _I wondered. Considering who we were dealing with, maybe I didn't want to know.

"Alright, if you don't want to tell us, then could you at least tell us who those people are and what they want?" Riley asked. At this, Kai suddenly gave us all a suspicious glance, narrowing his eyes at us.

"Why do you want to know?" he inquired in a low voice. Riley and I glanced at each other, since Lance was conked out on the mattress. I became conscious of the miniature sword that was hidden beneath my shirt, as well as the small weapons that were concealed by Lance and Riley. Should we risk showing them to Kai? He was just a stranger, but he could really be the key to our mysteries.

"Because we've...encountered them before," Riley answered. Kai arched an eyebrow at this, seeming interested for once.

"Encountered them how?" There was a slight pause after his inquiry as me and Riley considered what to say. In the end, Riley simply pulled out his shrunken axe and showed it to Kai, who cringed so slightly that the reaction could've easily gone unnoticed. He studied the pendant for a while, petrified on the spot where he stood. A tense, awkward silence settled in the following moments.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked at last, stirring from his position.

"No. That's why we want to know. Does this have anything to do with those people?" Another silence followed as we waited for Kai to answer.

"I think...it's time for me to go." He turned and reached for the door knob, his face blank and indifferent as he did so. He had to know something about our weapons, and there was no way I could just let him leave without getting _something_ out of him.

"Hey," I called. "I saved your butt out there from those guys, even though you ran me over without saying sorry. You could at least tell me who these people are."

Kai paused at the open doorway without turning around, his hand still on the door knob. He stood there for a moment without answering, and after a while I began to wonder whether or not he would.

"They call themselves Clan Seigen," he said, and the door shut behind him.

* * *

"Here you go—enjoy your stay!"

"Thanks," Kai murmured, accepting the cardkey from Nurse Joy. He left the front desk and navigated the halls of the Pokémon Center to his assigned room, his mind buzzing from the day's events.

_Of all the stupid coincidences, _he thought, shaking his head, _it had to come to this._ He found his room and unlocked it with his cardkey, pushing the door open with ease. Staying for one night couldn't hurt, since they already knew that he was in Pewter. It would take some time for that information to reach headquarters anyway, and by the time it did he would be long gone.

Kai dropped his backpack wearily on the floor, casting his jacket aside on one of the mattresses. It was nice of a stranger to buy him so much new stuff, and the least he could do to repay them was to make sure that they were safe.

_But then again…_

It seemed exceedingly odd, that the three of them would be curious about Clan Seigen, especially if they had a pendant among them and had no idea what those things really were. It was even more peculiar that the three had obviously been together for years and yet had remained undetected. Things were simply too strange.

And then there was Swift and her Charizard...her _shiny _Charizard. No one would have expected a single-Badge Trainer to have such a rare and powerful Pokémon. Was it just a coincidence? Not to mention the fact…...

_Ugh, this is getting me nowhere, _he decided, his head throbbing as he kicked off his shoes and threw himself into bed. He buried his face into the pillow, missing the feel of such luxuries. Should he accompany Swift and her friends on their journey? No, it was too much of a risk. Besides, he had to find Larine as soon as possible—travelling with them would only slow him down. _Everything else can wait...we have to figure this out before they do, or it's all over._

* * *

**Author's Note: **Just curious, but what do you guys think of the name "Clan Seigen"? Yea? Nay? It took me a while to update this chapter because I couldn't come up with a good name for them, so I hope it's good. :)


	13. Chapter 12: And Then

**Chapter 12: And Then…**

Clan Seigen. We had a name now (which I guess was better than nothing), but there wasn't anything we could do with it. I had never heard of Clan Seigen, despite all the other infamous names that had spread across the news like wildfire, such as Team Rocket, Team Galactic, etc. Maybe it was because those names usually weren't released until the organization had been upheaveled, but that didn't prevent me from feeling extremely suspicious. What could possibly be their objective?

"If we can't do anything to find them, then we'll just have to move on and wait for them to come to us," Riley had said. "What's the point of searching if we don't even know where to look?" Of course, know-it-all Riley was right, so we decided to pack up and make our way towards the second Gym, which lay in Cerulean City. However, we tried looking for Kai before we left, hoping to get some kind of hint from him that might advance our knowledge. We couldn't find him, though, and when we asked Nurse Joy at the front desk (feeling like a bunch of stalkers), she told us that he had already left at sunrise. Figures.

Without further ado, we departed for Mt. Moon the same morning. The three of us were pretty much expecting a mundane hike through the mountains, with sparse tufts of grass growing out between cracks in the stones and dull gray scenery surrounding us as far as the eye could see. By the end of our excursion...well, let's just say that we weren't very fond of mountains from then on.

First, we sat down for lunch, which Riley prepared while Lance and I went to refill our water bottles. However, when we got back, our lunch had disappeared. Apparently, a pack of Sandshrew had stopped by for a visit and had decided to take our meal along with them. Riley proceeded to chase down the small Ground types, even though Lance and I were running on empty stomachs all around the mountain just so Riley could hunt down the thieving Pokémon and teach them a good lesson. In the end, he managed catch one of the Sandshrew, but that didn't help us get our food back.

The next day, Lance somehow accidentally (don't ask me how) managed to anger a Cubone, which then began to attack us in a fit of rage. Just so you know, getting beat up by a Pokémon that uses a bone as its weapon and wasn't even one-fourth of your size isn't much fun. The three of us suffered at least a couple bruises each until Lance finally (make that, for once) took responsibility and caught the Ground type before it caused us any more damage. Waking up the next day didn't feel too good, as if that were the end to our problems.

Near the end of our trip, the worst of all our calamities occurred. While we were training, a stray Water Gun from Squirtle accidentally made its way into the mouth of a hidden cave. Little did we know that resting within that cave was a large, ill-tempered Rhyhorn who charged at us the minute it emerged from its covert. We didn't even have time to consider battling it because we were too focused on escaping (which wasn't easy considering the misshapen ground that shook with Rhyhorn's every step). We were chased all over the mountainside until we were forced to confront the enraged Pokémon. It took all three of us to subdue the ton-and-a half Pokémon before I finally threw the Poké Ball and ended our ordeal. Not my first choice for a catching method, but it wasn't like we had a choice either.

You can pretty much guess how the three of us were feeling when we finally stumbled into Cerulean City looking and feeling just as miserable as Kai was when we'd first seen him. We were so tired that we spent our first three days in the city recuperating. Fortunately, after that, we each managed to win our own Cascade Badge without any trouble, even though I (once again) didn't have much of the upper hand. After resting for another day, we departed for Vermillion City.

On the way there, Riley somehow managed to catch an Abra, despite the fact that their species were known for swift escapes. If I were to guess, I would've said that he simply threw a Poké Ball and got lucky. I assumed it was true, since Riley only got mad at the suggestion and didn't deny it. He wasn't much of a liar, just like Lance was.

Other than that, our journey since leaving Pewter was relatively peaceful. Clan Seigen vanished from our minds in the heat of travelling and battling, which we had wanted to do for so long. For that time being, our lives felt like clear skies without a cloud in sight.

Little did we know that the next storm was just over the horizon.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Yeah, I know, short chapter. Reason for that is because I'm building up for a major event (which you might have guessed based on the last lines of this chapter), and I wanted to get all of the less important stuff out of the way. It might take a while to get the next chapter out because of that, but I hope you'll enjoy it when it does.


	14. Chapter 13: Curse of the Annes

**Author's Note: **I finally managed to complete this chapter (yay!) :D. I think it would've come out at this length in any case, but I think you all deserve a longer chapter for waiting for so long. Hope you enjoy it! I'll have more to say at the end.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Curse of the Annes**

"Ack! Not again… Darn it, Eevee, why can't you cut that out?" I asked, grudgingly rubbing the stinging patch of skin on my arm. The Normal type Pokémon flicked an ear at me in annoyance, but otherwise ignored me as he usually did. I sighed, halfheartedly wondering why I even bothered with him. At the very least, the Evolution Pokémon had started to reduce his assaults on me, but even still he was completely disobedient.

"Still no good, eh?" Lance observed, walking over with his hands laced behind his head.

"Nope," I agreed, and raised an eyebrow at the singed hole in his shirt that still had smoke trailing from it. "I'm assuming you haven't getting anywhere either." Lance made a notion that suggested likewise before sitting down on a nearby bench. I suppose I was fortunate enough not to have gotten the only demonic, fire-breathing Eevee in the trio, but that didn't make training mine any easier.

I sank down into the bench that I sat on, lazily watching the clouds pass by overhead. We were currently at the training grounds in Vermillion City's Pokémon Center, having defeated the Vermillion Gym just yesterday with utmost ease, thanks to the Pokémon that we had caught on Mt. Moon. Rhyhorn turned out to be a great battler, despite the grim circumstances under which I had caught him. Now we were simply waiting for Riley to return with our motive of transportation to Celadon, since none of us had felt like taking the traditional route through Rock Tunnel and Lavender Town to get there.

_What does it take to get a ride around here? _I muttered, glancing at my watch. _It's been almost two hours..._

"Hey!"

Lance and I glanced up to see Riley sprinting towards us with an excited look on his face, his Ivysaur keeping pace beside him with a walloping stride.

"And you always complain about me being late," Lance remarked, stretching as he rose to his feet. "What took you so long?" Riley came to a halt before us, bending over on his knees to catch his breath. The blond strands of his hair were wet with sweat, like he had just run a marathon.

"You won't…believe…what I…got…for all of us," he panted, straightening. His hazel eyes were literally sparkling—not a very common characteristic for Riley.

"Food?" Lance guessed wistfully, but Riley shook his head.

"A free ride to Celadon on a rickety old train?" I mumbled. Riley was the kind of person who also loved to save money, but still he shook his head.

"I'm not _that _cheap, " he asserted with an offended look. "I've got something much better." He reached into his pocket and pulled out three pieces of paper with the picture of a large, white boat on it.

"What is that?" Lance queried curiously.

"Can't you tell?" Riley asked, grinning once more as he shoved the pieces of paper in our face. "They're tickets to the _S.S Anne II_."

* * *

I never would've thought that they would build a second _S.S Anne, _considering that the first one had been sunk due to the criminal activities of Team Rocket around ten years ago. Ash Ketchum had been on that ship, if I recall, and had barely managed to make it out of there alive after it went down. The knowledge didn't bother me much, since the _S.S Anne II _was destined for Celadon via sailing upriver. The tickets had been free, too, in order to promote the grand opening of the cruise ship.

The workers on the ship quickly ushered everyone into the ballroom (assuming that it _was_ the ballroom), where we we were to stay and relax during our voyage. It was quite spacious, with rich, wine-red carpeting and elegant beige wallpaper streaked with complex golden designs. Several chandeliers illuminated the room, casting light unto the numerous tables covered in white tablecloths. The larger tables were piled high with food, while the rest simply had a small vase of flowers and numerous chairs surrounding it. Many had already been occupied by the numerous people that filled the room.

Lance sniffed the air, eyeing the platters of food hungrily as Riley and I took in our surroundings.

"That…...smells good..."

"Knock yourself out," I said, an amused smile spreading across my face. The _S.S Anne II _had been built to withstand Pokémon battles–as many cruise ships were nowadays–and seeing as the majority of the passengers appeared to be Trainers, I couldn't wait to get some decent training in.

"Not bad huh?" Riley mused. "You and Lance should thank me every now and then." Lance was already pigging out at a table with an overloaded plate of food. If that wasn't a sign of his gratitude, I didn't know what was.

"Just make sure that ego of yours doesn't grow too big," I laughed, slipping into the crowd just as his cry of protest rose into the air. I knew Riley wouldn't take it _too _personally.

It had always fascinated me as to how Pokémon could be so different from one another, even if they were the same species. The entire ship was full of a variety of Pokémon, including those from other regions that weren't as common around Kanto. Maybe in the future I would apply for a PokéDex and try to "catch 'em all", as they put it. I'd love to travel around the world and meet all different kinds of Pokémon—which I would probably do anyway.

"Hey you!"

I swiveled around, finding myself face-to-face with a teenage boy accompanied by a Girafarig. He had dark, chestnut hair and piercing green eyes above a small nose and thin lips curved into a small smile.

"Are you looking for a battle?" he asked. His Pokémon gave a high-pitched bleat in agreement, cocking its head at me curiously. The four legged Pokémon was about my height (which was a bit startling since I'd always thought that Girafarig were smaller), with thin legs and shiny black hooves for feet. Its head extended a good distance from its body courtesy of its long neck, and had two antenna-like horns protruding from the top of its skull. The front half of its body was golden yellow with a line of dusky brown spots along its spine, while its rear was colored the inverse.

"Yeah," I replied, a bit surprised. "How did you know?"

The boy pointed with a thumb at his partner, saying, "Two heads are better than one, eh?"

At first, I thought he was referring to himself with Girafarig, but then I remembered that Girafarig had two heads—one on its neck, and one on the end of its tail. It was the reason why I had always been fascinated by their species…until I realized that, being a Psychic Pokémon, it must've been poking around my head.

"Two heads, huh?"_, _I echoed, wrenching a Poké Ball off my belt and enlarging it with the press of a button. "Let's see just how good those two heads are, shall we? Go, Rhyhorn!"

I hurled the Poké Ball into the air, releasing a large, rugged form that materialized on the floor before me. The Rock Pokémon was covered in large, irregular-shaped plates that served as its armor, with a short horn protruding from the tip of its nose and a line of flat, narrow spines running along its back. Rhyhorn pawed the red carpet eagerly, uttering a low bellow in challenge that alarmed many of the people nearby. I had specifically chosen Rhyhorn because of the fact that (according to researchers) their species was well-known for their small brains and not-so-smartness. Apparently, my opponent knew of this as well, and seemed amused by my choice.

"I've heard that Rhyhorn are pretty dumb—if they charge, they can't even remember why they started charging to begin with. How're you going to win against two heads?"

Rhyhorn stomped once and growled in warning, causing a small vibration to go through the floor. At that point, people began to realize that a battle was about to take place, and wisely backed out of the way to make room. "Are you afraid?" I taunted, smirking. Despite my confidence, I realized that people would probably be spectating our battle, and started to feel slightly nervous.

"Why would I be afraid of you?" he challenged with a contemptous laugh. "In fact, I think I'll make the first move: Girafarig, Psybeam!" The Normal and Psychic type Pokémon trotted out to the field with an enthusiastic whinny, firing twin, multi-colored beams at Rhyhorn.

"Brace yourself, Rhyhorn!" I ordered. I knew that with his bulky body, Rhyhorn's speed wasn't going to be top notch, and if he had dodged the attack, the chances of him evading another onslaught would be slim to none. The Rock Pokémon lowered his head obediently, gritting his teeth as he took the attack with a grunt. Otherwise, the Psybeam had little effect on him. "Good—now use Take Down!" The Spikes Pokémon snorted as he shot forward, breaking the Psychic attack and causing the floor to quake violently. I stumbled as the crowd around us cried out in alarm, the chandeliers above us trembling ominously. I guess I'd forgotten that we were on a cruise ship.

"Counter with Zen Headbutt!" yelled Girafarig's Trainer, tottering slightly. His Pokémon leapt forward on command, its forehead acquiring a slight blue glow as it did so. A loud smack filled the air as both Pokémon collided head-on, attempting to overwhelm the other through sheer force. The Psychic Pokémon's legs quivered, unable to withstand Rhyhorn's strength.

"Now quick, use Horn Attack!" Rhyhorn let out a roar, bowing his head even further before abruptly tossing it upward and throwing Girafarig into the air with his horn. "Rock Blast!" Mid-sized boulders suddenly materialized around the Rock Pokémon, launching themselves at his airborne enemy.

"That's not nearly enough to defeat us—use Double Hit!" Girafarig's skull contracted a lavender glow, as did its tail (aka its second head), and as I watched, the Long Neck Pokémon swung its tail, smashing the majority of the oncoming rocks before crushing the rest with quick rams of its head. It then landed on the ground with all fours, looking a bit battered but still capable of fighting.

_Battles are no fun if they're easy_, I thought. My challenger didn't look like he was going to go down without a fight, and I wasn't going to either. "Horn Attack, once more!

Rhyhorn proceeded to charge once more, lowering his head as the ground resumed its shaking.

"Charge and use Crunch!"

The Long Neck Pokémon took off at a gallop towards Rhyhorn, and I actually stopped to wonder how exactly a Girafarig could go about performing that move—I was almost positive that they were herbivores. But then I remembered—it had two heads. The Psychic Pokémon pivoted on its front hooves at the last second, and its round, alternate head opened its mouth to reveal two rows of large, dazzlingly white teeth.

"Look out!" I warned. The Spikes Pokémon tried to avoid the attack, but it was too late. The tail's head had closed its mouth over the side of Rhyhorn's rocky skull, causing a crack to form. A deafening roar filled the room as the Ground Pokémon began to buck. Meanwhile, Girafarig's Trainer smiled cockily.

"Not bad, huh?" he asked. "Girafarig's tail can bite through just about anything."

"Tch," I scoffed, gritting my teeth. He sounded just like Riley when he was trying to be irritating.

I watched as my Pokémon continued to struggle, my mind working frantically even as Girafarig toiled to anchor Rhyhorn in place. There had to be a flaw in its attack...

"Rhyhorn!" I called. The Rock Pokémon ceased his tantrum, his wild eyes flicking in my direction as he awaited his order. "Take Down—full speed ahead!" Rhyhorn lowered his head once more and pushed off mightily from the ground. The Psychic Pokémon had been so focused on retaining its hold on the Rock Pokémon that it didn't even have time to consider the situation. The next thing I knew, Girafarig was flying through the air, its Trainer crying out in alarm.

"Girafarig!"

Girafarig landed with its legs sprawled out from its body, emitting a high-pitched squeal of pain. Taking a direct hit in the rear probably didn't feel too good. The Psychic Pokémon attempted to rise, but after a few shaky tries, it collapsed and fainted on the spot.

"So much for two heads," I observed, bending down next to Rhyhorn to avoid the numerous gazes that burned into my back as a light applause filled the air. "Good job, pal." The Rock Pokémon growled happily as I scratched the softer skin beneath his chin, careful not to touch the crack in his head.

"Nice battle," commented my challenger with a friendly grin, holding out his hand. "I guess maybe Rhyhorn aren't _that _stupid."

"Of course they're not," I asserted. "You know, all Pokémon can be great at anything if you work hard with them. They're strengths and weaknesses are just a part of the training process, but it's not like it determines their potential." I coughed, feeling like I'd said too much. I had always felt the need to defend Pokémon against Trainers who thought that some were naturally weak or strong because of their abilities. Wasn't that the purpose of a Trainer, to train Pokémon to become the best that they can be?

I shook the boy's hand before he walked off into the crowd, suddenly feeling a chill run down my spine. I looked up out of pure instinct, and for a moment, I thought I had seen Kai moving about among the dispersing crowd. But when I looked again, my eyes confirmed that he wasn't there at all. I could've guaranteed that I saw him, but it was just like the first time I had seen him—Kai seemed to have melted into the shadows.

The sword pendant tingled against my skin, and I scratched at it, reluctant to expose they mysterious object when there were so many people around.

"How 'bout we take a look at that crack, hm?" I asked, turning my attention to Rhyhorn. And as I examined the fissure in his skull (despite his loud protests), I tried extremely hard to ignore the feeling that something wasn't right.

* * *

For the next hour or two, the three of us simply enjoyed ourselves on the cruise. Lance managed to stuff himself until he was full (which was rather rare), and fell asleep for the remaining majority of the ride. Riley, like me, found a few Trainers to battle with, and thus we occupied ourselves that way.

After two hours of being on the _S.S. Anne II, _we had almost made it Celadon...almost. By then I was starting to get a bit impatient, since I was eager to get my hands on the fourth Gym Badge and the ship seemed to be moving at a Slowpoke's pace.

The chatter in the room died as the loudspeaker crackled to life overhead, and I perked my ears to hear what was about to be said, not bothering to conceal a yawn.

"_Ladies and gentlemen, we'll be arriving in Celadon shortly within the next half hour. Thank you!"_

"About time," Riley muttered, slouching grudgingly in his seat with a bored expression on his face. "I feel like I've been here for days."

"It's only been two hours," I said pointedly. Riley mumbled something incoherent that was blocked out by a loud snore from Lance, who was asleep next to him with his head on a table. Hopefully we would arrive before Riley's patience wore out.

Suddenly, I was aware of an odd sensation about the room, like something was moving about in a rather eerie way. Objects that were on the tables began to slide subtly back and forth with a hypnotic rhythym.

"Do…you…feel that?" Riley asked, glancing around with a perplexed expression on his face. The other passengers apparently felt it as well, since the hum of conversation that previously filled the air gradually turned into surprised, curious murmurs. Lance picked up his head with groggy looking eyes, his eyebrows creased into a slight frown. This was concerning for two reasons: one, I'd never seen Lance frown during a serious situation, and two, Lance could sleep through a hurricane if he wanted to, and if he woke up now...

"_Attention all passengers, we are currently experiencing some difficulty navigating these currents. We ask that you'll remain calm as we attempt to resolve this issue. Thank you."_

"Something's not right," Lance said, sitting up straight and looking rather alert.

"Obviously. Didn't you hear the announcement?" remarked Riley, rolling his eyes. "We're probably sailing against the current." But Lance didn't seem convinced.

"It's not that. The way the ship is rocking back and forth feels unnatural, like something's causing it move this way..."

Riley and I exchanged looks. Since when was Lance the one to know about these things? For the majority of our lives he had always been the slacker in our class.

The sword pendant around my neck began to tingle violently, and my instincts told me that following the announcement's advice and remaining calm was _not _a very good idea. But could the sword be reacting to something that was about to happen? I glanced over at my friends, who apparently were having a similar occurence.

No one could have predicted what happened next. Within the next split second, the air felt like it had exploded, thickening in such a way that I might as well have been suffocating in it. The atmosphere thrummed with energy, and I could almost detect a presence behind it...a presence that could kill just by being near it.

_What…what is this? _I suddenly found that I was unable to move my body, collapsing involuntarily to the floor even as the people around me fell, completely knocked out. _Why is it so hard to breathe?_ My friends dropped to the ground as well, just barely being able to remain conscious as the air threatened to crush our minds through sheer force. I tried to call out to them, but the pressure only increased the more I tried to resist it. _Darn it…why can't I move?_

My mind must've started hallucinating, because after a brief moment something unusual began to occur. The three of us watched as rivulets of water crawled swiftly across the floor seemingly of their own will, merging together into a single entity in the center of the room. Even as I watched, the formation grew larger and larger until it soldified into a slender, humanoid form.

"Well! That was certainly interesting."

I found myself staring up at a young woman around her early thirties. She had pale, baby blue hair that cascaded down to her shoulders in waves and the most vibrant, azure eyes that I had ever seen. She wore a sleeveless cerulean dress, which was rather simple with its flowing design and a knee high skirt that parted at the front. White ribbons had been tied around each of her biceps, while tight-fitting, silver cuff-bracelets adorned her forearms. The pressure around us had stabilized at her arrival, and I realized that the force had been coming from _her._

"What's this?" she asked, cocking her head at us as she took a step forward with her sandaled foot. The woman looked down at us with a mischievous spark in her eyes, her mouth curled in an amused smile. "There's actually someone here who can withstand my power."

_Power...? _I echoed. What kind of powers did this lady have?

She stretched out her arm as she approached, and small particles of water gathered around her hand, materializing into a life-sized trident with silver patterns engraved into its length. Lance, Riley, and I cringed at the sight, suddenly realizing that the weapon resembled the ones that we possessed as well; albeit in a tinier form.

I thought back to the day when I'd first found the sword that I now wore around my neck, remembering the insane man and the power that he had called "aura". Was this woman capable of using this so-called "aura"? No...it wasn't possible. The Guardians of ancient times were the only records in history of people being able to use aura, and those were just some fairytale for adventurous kids, right?

I might've literally jumped out of my skin if it weren't for the fact that I was unable to move when I suddenly found that the point of the trident was pointed right underneath my chin.

"Now then, since you've already done me the favor of staying awake, would you mind telling me where I might find a boy named Kai? I'm sure he's around here somewhere." The woman flashed us a pleasant smile, and I might've actually been fooled by it if I weren't about to be impaled by a giant pitchfork. I could sense my friends' anxiety beside me, even though we couldn't speak. We knew close to nothing about Kai, but if he had been running away from people like her, it might explain why he had looked like a hobo, as Lance put it.

_If she's looking for Kai, then she must be a part of that Clan Seigen,_ I concluded. My heart started to race as I tried to think of what to say. But what could I say? Every time I tried to open my mouth it felt like someone was forcing it shut with a pair of tongs. _If only I could get a Poké Ball..._

At that moment, I felt a twitch at my belt. Was it just my imagination? But then it came again, and I realized, even without looking, that it came from Eevee's Poké Ball.

"Aww, too bad, it looks like you don't have enough strength to speak," The woman noted with a disappointed look. "Oh well. I guess I don't have a choice." She drew her arm back, the blue trident glinting in the light as she smiled once more. "I'll just have to eliminate you."

The atmosphere suddenly destabilized, perhaps even more so than before. This woman wanted to kill us, and her intent was so powerful that it emnated from her in muderous waves. Its force was crushing, and it felt like our existence could simply disintegrate at any given moment.

_Darn it, this is pathetic...a pathetic way to die._

Frustration overwhelmed me as my vision blurred; I had never felt so helpless in my life. Time slowed down as the woman spoke words that I couldn't hear, and the trident plunged forward at an excruciatingly sluggish pace. I squeezed my eyes shut, my body screaming for the ability to move. In the midst of the torrent of thoughts that began to whirl around in my mind, I only had one, real thought, and it was:

_Why?_

I suddenly heard a chime that might've just been another illusion, followed by a loud, metallic crash. The pressure around us lifted immediately afterwards, and I soon found myself gasping for air on the floor, still alive and intact. Surprised, I glanced over at Lance and Riley, who returned expressions to suggest that they were okay.

"Oh-ho, look who showed up."

The woman's voice didn't sound taken aback, but it alerted me to another presence that seemed to have blocked out hers; one that was friendlier and not as prominent. My friends and I sat up on our knees, looking up in surprise at the familiar figure whose shadow was cast over us.

"Kai…..?" Riley asked, echoing each of our thoughts. Our rescuer turned his head in our direction, and we all saw that it was, indeed, Kai. This time, however, he was more well-kept and appeared to be much better off than he was before, his injuries, for the most part, nonexistent.

"Why...why are you here?"

Kai sniffed, lowering the object in his hand. I noticed for the first time that he was holding a long, obsidian scythe with silver patterns crawling along its rugged length, a large blade the color of ash curving from its end. Maybe I should've been shocked that he had something like that, but after what had happened so far, I couldn't really say that I was.

"Don't get the wrong idea," he said, glaring darkly at the three of us. "I'm just returning the favor."

The woman giggled, reminding us that our enemy was still in the room.

"Ah, Kai…you always were the 'noble' type," she remarked with another giggle. "But do you really think that with your abilities you'll be able to stand a chance against me?"

Kai raised his scythe, tightening his grip on it but saying nothing. I got the feeling that things were going to get much, much worse. The woman sighed, shaking her head.

"You're always in such a dark mood...seriously, you should lighten up once in a while!"

The next thing I saw was a blur of black, and Kai abruptly reappeared in front of the woman, slashing at her with his scythe. Her face contorted with astonishment a split second before her body collapsed into water, and the blade sent droplets of it flying into the air. A watery arm emerged from the blob with a solidified trident in hand, jabbing at Kai even as he barely managed to block the attack. He slid backwards across the carpet from the impact of the blow, only to lunge once more and lock weapons with the woman's trident. Then the watery structure wriggled until the woman's face had reformed on its surface.

"I have to admit, Kai, you almost had me there," she noted. "If only you had trained with us a while longer, you might have actually been able to get me."

"Don't talk to me," Kai snapped, pushing forward with his scythe. "I'm not going back there after all that trash you fed to us, _Raine_." With that, his weapon crackled with tendrils of power, releasing a black arc of energy that would have sliced through the woman's face if her body hadn't liquified once more. Soon, the two began exchanging a furry of blows that dragged their battle around the room, knocking over tables and crashing into walls at such a speed that it was insane to try and follow it with our eyes.

"This is mad..." Riley murmured, his face full of amazement. "Maybe we should help him."

"How?" Lance questioned, his voice doubtful. "Do you really think we can keep up with someone whose body is made of water?" He had a point, for once, and there wasn't much one could do to a person who was made of water. I rolled up my sleeves, my heart pounding in anticipation.

"We need to try, at least," I said, although I honestly didn't want to. "I don't want to be stuck on the floor again with a pitchfork pointed at my face. There has to be something we can do." Riley nodded in agreement.

"From what I can tell, I think her weakest spot is exposed whenever she reverts a part of herself back into human form. If that weren't true, then she wouldn't have turned back into water every time Kai tried to hit her flesh." That sounded pretty reasonable; all we had to do was wait for an opening. Lance, however, didn't look to sure about it, but nodded solemnly without a word. Meanwhile, the brawl had paused on the other side of the room, with Kai panting heavily and a newly opened cut on his cheek.

"It's such a shame, Kai," the woman named Raine stated. "Next to Aiden, you were the one with the most potential. Don't you realize how much you would've accomplished if you came back to us?" The upper half of her body materialized above the mass of water as she spoke, her back turned towards our direction.

_There. _I glanced back at my friends for quick reassurance before quietly trotting across the floor in approach, treading carefully so as not to make any noise.

"Aiden is dead," Kai spat shortly with a disgusted grimace, "and he's dead because of all of you."

_Almost there..._

"Not so!" Raine argued, flourishing her trident. "He chose his own path to walk, and it just happened to be one that you weren't willing to take."

_Now!_ I raised my arm and aimed for the small of Raine's back. I was almost positive that I had gotten her, until I felt my fist punch through pure liquid. Alarmed, I immediately pulled back, only to feel the water tighten around my wrist just as I was about to withdraw. _Shoot!_

"Your instincts are pretty good for a human," she said, tilting her head towards me with a sly grin on her face. "But honestly, you people are so annoying." Raine stabbed at me with her trident backhandedly, and the weapon would've pierced my body were it not for the blast of dark energy that blew her a short distance away and forced her to liquify. Kai appeared in front of me, sweat gleaming on his face.

"Idiot," he growled. "Get back!"

"Why? Can't I help if I want to?" I snarled back.

"What can you do? Do you even know how to summon your weapon?"

I hesitated, surprised that he knew about my sword. If I remembered correctly, we had only shown him Riley's weapon, and no one else's.

Before I could reply, Kai was off again, since Raine had gotten herself together and was already closing in for an attack. Soon, the two had once more fought their way across the room. Lance and Riley ran up to me, concerned looks on their faces.

"Are you okay?" Lance asked. I nodded, gritting my teeth with chagrin as I did so.

"Dang it, I guess we were wrong about that," Riley muttered, attempting to watch the fight. "Now what?"

The answer revealed itself to us in the form of three simultaneous rings accompanied by a bright flash of white light. We hadn't even realized what had happened until we saw the three forms of our Eevee standing before us.

"Eevee?" the three of us said in unison, completely clueless as to why our Pokémon had released themselves. The Normal types, however, paid no attention to us, and charged forward simultaneously. Each of their pelts were cloaked with the element that they were able to use, their eyes glowing in accordance with it. Lance, Riley, and I stood stock-still, completely speechless. Things were getting way too weird.

Each of our Eevee leapt just as Kai was catapulted into a wall that caved in on top of him. Raine turned towards the three Pokémon with a raised eyebrow.

"What's this? Some familiar faces?" She raised her weapon, which began to emnate a brilliant, blue glow.

"Eevee, look out!" I called. By then the energy that had coalesced around each of the three small Pokémon had grown in size so that it looked like a tri-colored wave washing over Raine. My instincts told me that she should have been overwhelmed by its force and collapsed underneath it, but then there was a bright burst of blue light, and I saw three shots of water blast outwards and inbed themselves into the walls, leaving Raine completely unscathed. My friends and I parted ways and hurried over to our Pokémon. My Eevee was struggling to rise, sparks still flying from his fur despite the large gash that had opened on his side.

"Eevee, stop! You'll only hurt yourself more if you keep trying to fight." I reached out for him, but Eevee shied away, trying to make his way towards Raine. He bared his fangs, trying to endure his wound with a stubborn, determined look in his eyes. I had never seen my Eevee look that way before. _How on earth are these two related?_

"I'm not going to play games with you people any more," Raine hissed, water swirling treacherously around her body. "It's about time I brought this to an end." Numerous waves suddenly shot outwards, washing over everything in the room. I grabbed Eevee as gently as possible and shielded him with my body as the wave came crashing down, drenching me from head to toe. I hated getting wet, but I wasn't going to let my Pokémon get hurt because of that. The Evolution Pokémon glanced up weakly, seeming surprised by my actions.

Everything that happened next came in a flash. I saw Raine stab her trident into the ground, and the floor suddenly exploded with surf. The mass of it poured down on us, first in a terrifying blast that enveloped itself around us, and then in a force that blew us backwards through the water...who knew how far? I made sure to keep hold of Eevee, but even that became difficult as I suddenly found myself capable of only breathing in the water around me. The last thing I knew was that we were drifitng downwards, with a large, blotchy shadow looming overhead before my vision gave out to darkness.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Hope you guys enjoyed this one :). About why it took so long for me to update, it's partially due to the fact that this chapter is so long and because of the fact that I had to change the entire second half of it for plot purposes. It was also due to the fact that school has been dishing out tests and projects like crazy and I had writer's block for a whole week because of rainy weather x.x . In any case, I have a feeling I won't be able to pick up the updating pace until either school is out or I figure out how the next few chapters should work. Well, I just hope you liked all the hard work I put into this chapter xD. Until next time!


	15. Chapter 14: Alone

**Chapter 14: Alone**

It was dark, cold, and wet.

I thought I had gone blind until I realized that the world was enveloped in the cloak of the night.

_Where….What happened?_

I sat up with a shudder, drenched in the saltwater that lapped at my legs. My body burned with pain, like I had been thrown into a brick wall from miles away and had somehow survived. Moaning, I surveyed my surroundings, my eyes adjusting slowly to the pitch blackness. I appeared to be sitting on some kind of beach, with a forest towering behind me and casting long, intimidating shadows across the ground. The undulating expanse of a river stretched out endlessly before me, and the only lights to be seen were those from the stars in the sky and that of the sliver of the moon that was visible.

"Eevee!" I exclaimed, suddenly remembering the small Pokémon. I searched frantically through the darkness for any signs of Eevee, soon spotting a small, furry clump a few feet from where I sat. I scrambled over the best that I could, scrutinizing over Eevee's still form sprawled out on the sand.

"Eevee!" I called, stroking the top of his head. There was no response, not even a tradtional spark. Panic began to creep in, muddling my thoughts.

_No, Swift, stay calm, _I snapped. But it was hard to stay calm when I knew it would be my fault if anything happened to Eevee. It was almost pitch black, and I had no idea where I was or what to do.

I placed two shaky fingers under Eevee's chin, trying to feel for a pulse. But I was trembling so much it was hard to tell whether or not there was one.

_Dang it! Eevee, you'd better not die on me!_

My backpack was still hung loosely around my shoulders, but even with a first aid kit, I didn't know enough to treat the bloodied gash on the Normal type's side. Still, I knew I had to try.

The supplies in the first aid kit were a bit moist, but useable. I cleaned off Eevee's wound as much as I could, operating with limited visibility (my flashlight was conveniently broken), and dressed it as appropriately as I was able. By the time I was done, sweat was beginning to form on my skin, and I still couldn't tell if he had a pulse.

_I need to get to a Pokémon Center, _I thought. _But how? _The only way I could was by flying, and it was our only chance. We didn't have another choice.

"Blaze, Hisakugen!"

Hisa blended in well with the darkness as soon as he emerged, the flame on his tail was only feature that made him visible. Scooping Eevee up in one arm and slinging my pack over the other, I hopped onto the Flame Pokémon's back. Sensing our urgency, Hisa took off immediately, soaring into the night sky.

"Find us a Pokémon Center—hurry!"

Giving a salutary growl, Hisa accelerated to his max speed, making the world speed by in a shadowy blur. As we flew, I held Eevee gently but firmly in my arms, leaning forward on Hisa and holding on with the sheer power of my legs, sore as they were. The whole way, I simply prayed that we would make it in time.

The ride seemed to take hours, but with Hisa's speed it couldn't have taken more than thirty minutes. Once the lights of civilization came into view, I felt almost immediate relief, even though I knew that it didn't guarantee Eevee's safety. I jumped off Hisa's back almost even before he landed in front of the infamous red-roofed building, stumbling to the doors of the Pokémon Center. No one was inside even though the lights were on, but I pounded on the locked doors until Nurse Joy came in her nightgown and demanded what all the commotion was about. I explained our situation quickly, and after seeing Eevee's condition, Nurse Joy let us in. Summoning her assistant Chansey, she took Eevee from my arms and rushed him into the emergency room.

I remembered staring at the closed double doors, relieved that Eevee was finally in good hands. Whether or not I had done enough to save him would be determined in just a few hours.

Then all my previous fatigue suddenly rushed in like another tidal wave, similar in force to the one Eevee and I had been washed away in. I felt my knees buckle underneath me involuntarily, and everything went black.

* * *

I felt like I must've slept for ages. My body was stiff and my head throbbed as though there were an enraged Primeape imprisoned in my skull. Groaning, I opened my eyes, only to find Hisa looming over me with a vigilant gaze.

"Hisa…..? What happened?"

My Charizard let out a comforting whine, as if to suggest that everything was okay. Somewhat mollified, I sat up, ignoring the protests of my abused muscles as I stroked Hisa's rough snout. I had been moved onto a bench outside the emergency room, where I must've collapsed on the floor the night before. The clock on the wall had its hands pointed to one-thirty, presumably in the afternoon.

"Excuse me."

I looked up, only to see Nurse Joy approaching from the open end of the hallway. A few strands of her salmon-colored hair had escaped from their usual loops, and her green eyes were underlined by meager wrinkles of exhaustion. Following her was one of her Chansey, a pink and rather bulbous Pokémon with a small pouch carrying an abnormally large egg. Its ears were decorated with wispy, feather-like contraptions that curved out from its head.

"How's Eevee?" I asked, unable to restrain myself. The nurse gave me a small, tired smile.

"He'll be fine, but it was a close call. His skin looks like it was split under some sort of pressure, and the wound was irritated by a lot of sand and saltwater." Putting her hands on her hips and delivering a fierce glare, she added, "You need to take better care of your Pokémon young lady! Who knows what will happen next time if you don't?"

I managed to withhold a grimace at the words "young lady", feeling a bit guilty about Eevee's condtion.

"I know. But I wasn't expecting the ship to―" I stopped, suddenly realizing that I might've said too much. Nurse Joy examined me closely, as though she suspected me for committing some kind of crime. Even with her pale pink dress and white apron, her gaze and posture were still quite formidable.

"Oh you must've been a passenger on the _S.S Anne II_," she noted, her expression becoming more compassionate. "I heard that some Gyarados attacked it to defend their territory, and split the ship in half."

_Gyarados? _I didn't recall seeing any Gyarados, but I _did_ remember that woman named Raine. Maybe she had somehow made it seem as though it was all just an accident. She sure seemed capable of doing so.

"I must've fallen through with Eevee," I concluded, more to myself than to Nurse Joy. "We washed up on shore last night, and when I realized Eevee was injured, we flew here as fast as we could."

"I see…" Reaching into her apron pocket, Nurse Joy retrieved a card key and held it out to me. "Why don't you go and clean yourself up? Eevee still needs to rest, and he probably won't be well enough for visitors until tomorrow." Her Chansey agreed with an enthusiastic "Chan!"

Suddenly realizing how grimy I was, I decided not to argue and retired to my assigned room. There, I stripped myself of my filthy clothes and washed off whatever saltwater there was left in my skin and hair. Refreshed, I pulled on a set of spare clothes consisting of a slate, hooded sweatshirt and jeans, throwing my soiled outfit in the miniature washing machine set up in the closet. Afterwards, I cleaned out my backpack of items that I could no longer use after my dip in the river, the majority of the garbage being food. Seeing as I was by myself, I'd have to go replenish my supplies on my own. It kind of made me realize how much I missed having Lance and Riley around.

Driven by my hunger, I found myself lunch in a decent restaurant–since the Pokémon Center I was staying at only served breakfast–and ate my fill before exploring the city. I soon learned that I was in Celadon, and that the "accident" of the _S.S. Anne II_ had made quite the headline. Apparently, as Nurse Joy had demonstrated, everyone believed that the incident had been incited by some Gyarados, who had forced the ship to break in two. Police officers managed to use boats and a number of Water Pokémon to rescue the passengers on board and push the ruined vessel back to shore. To my relief, no one had been hurt.

Lacking a destination, I returned to my lodgings. It was awfully quiet without Lance and Riley around, but I had no idea where they were, where to start looking for them, or, more importantly, what had happened to them. I just hoped that they were okay; they would probably be able to take care of themselves for the time being.

As I plopped down on the mattress of a lower bunk, I found myself recounting the events that had occurred. The unreality of what I had seen tempted me into believing it was all just a dream, even though knew that it wasn't.

_Is Raine a part of that Clan Seigen?_ I wondered. She hadn't been wearing any sort of uniform as far as I could tell. _Why was she looking for Kai? _That I couldn't answer any more than I could my first inquiry. What bugged me equally as much was how each of our Eevee had reacted to Raine's presence. Whatever mystery lay behind their strange powers must've been related to their recognition of Raine.

I groaned, closing my eyes. I was still dead tired, even after being conked out for a good several hours. Maybe things would be clearer after I woke up.

Before I slept, however, I felt compelled to take a look at the miniature sword hanging around my neck. The cold metal slid into my fingers as I reached into my shirt and drew the pendant from its covert. The straight, snow-white blade gleamed brilliantly in the little sunlight that streamed in through the single window of the room, rainbow-colored reflections dancing along its length. If it had been a full-length sword, it would've been a deadly, yet beautiful, sight.

_Kai _did_ say something about not knowing how to summon my weapon, _I recalled. _Would it help if I knew how? _I tinkered with the object, trying to discern some sort of secret or hidden aspect about it. But the weapon showed no signs of response to my prodding.

"You sure are a lot of help," I muttered. I must've been crazy to talk to a sword, and a necklace at that. I sighed, tracing the small symbol engraved on the flat of the blade before closing my fist over the iridescent steel and pulling the bedcovers over my body. I had so many questions, and no one to answer them; so many mysteries, and no one to solve them, or even to share them with. I wouldn't admit it, even to myself, but I was beginning to feel, almost for the first time, that I was truly alone.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I never thought I'd have to rewrite a chapter five times before I had anything post-worthy down. Dx Again, I've been having plot issues, and even though school's out, I still have two summer assignments to attend to (one of which will be done shortly and the other of which I don't need to worry too much about). I've almost unraveled all my difficulties with this part of the story, so unless I run into any other complications, updating speed should (SHOULD) increase. Thank you for your patience. :)


	16. Chapter 15: Why Do You Battle?

**Chapter 15: Why Do You Battle?**

Morning found me eating a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs and ham before I inquired Nurse Joy as to Eevee's condition. She permitted me a short visit to the intensive care unit, warning in an undertone, "Don't expect him to be up and about any time soon."

I was led by a Chansey into the more secluded hallway of the Pokémon Center, where each door was accompanied by a long window that allowed one to peer at the patients inside. Most of the rooms we passed were vacant, but the ones that were occupied contained Pokémon with bandages wrapped around their bodies, limbs, and heads—no doubt as a result from battling. The sight reminded me of the fact that there was a Gym in Celadon, one that I had not yet challenged.

_Should I go get my Badge? _I wondered, fingering the three that already resided in my belt. It felt wrong to do so with Eevee hospitalized and Lance and Riley missing from my perception of the world, but what else was there to do? My mind was no sharper than it had been the day before, and battling would help me relax. Besides, who knew when events were going to sweep the opportunity away? _We'll have to see about that_.

We traveresed through a pair of double doors and into a hallway that was void of windows in contrast to the former one. Chansey opened one of the doors, and gestured for me to go inside.

"Chan-sey!"

"Thank you," I said, and walked in. The room was bare except for some mechanical contraptions pushed into a corner and a sink with medicine cabinets lined up against a wall. In the center of it all was a small bed covered by a transparent dome, within which lay Eevee with an oxygen mask covering his small snout. I approached silently, only to find that the Evolution Pokémon was awake, his half-closed eyes flickering in my direction as I approached.

"Hey there, buddy," I greeted, not sure whether or not he could hear me through what appeared to be plexiglass. He didn't respond, in any case, and I soon noticed a row of neat stitches running up his side, the surrounding fur having been shaved off around the wound. "Looks painful…I'm glad you're alright though, Eevee. I have to admit, I was afraid you were going to die. When we were flying you here to the Pokémon Center, I kept wondering, 'What kind of irresponsible Trainer am I, letting a Pokémon come so close to death?' All along I'd never thought something like this would happen, but I guess it's my fault for being ignorant."

I paused, startled at the rush of words that had come pouring out of my mouth, and smiled bitterly at myself, shaking my head. Had my smoldering desire to become a Trainer overpowered any sense of caution for my Pokémon? I had been aware that "events" with Clan Seigen might occur again, but for the most part I had assumed it would only involve myself, Lance, and Riley. How was I to know that our Pokémon would get wrapped up in it? It was no excuse. "I need to do better, don't I? I guess that's why you've never respected me as your Trainer."

Eevee had not moved one bit, but had continued to stare listlessly at me from under his eyelids. After a while, he closed his eyes, and I sighed, though for what I didn't know. Maybe I was finally starting to realize how blinded I had been by childhood dream.

"I'll do better," I promised, clenching my fists. "And then I'll show you what kind of person I really am."

* * *

I was informed by Nurse Joy that Eevee would not be fit for travel for at least a few weeks. It was inevitable, but I could use the time to get some training in and look for clues as to the whereabouts of my friends. The former wouldn't pose as much of a problem, but the latter certainly would; I had no idea where to start. Ignoring that, I decided to begin training first. I needed to revitalize my senses and sharpen my mind so that I could better organize my time in Celadon.

"Go, Venonat!"

The Bug Pokémon answered my summons with a sharp "Veno!" standing on the tips of his toes energetically. I had once more decided to depend on Venonat for my victory against the Gym, which favored the usage of Grass type Pokémon. Not including Hisa, my only other Pokémon were Rhyhorn, who was at an extreme type disadvantage, and Eevee, who was out of commission. Having been accustomed to forest life, Venonat would be most apt in a setting full of foliage. Even the Pokémon Center's training grounds took on a more floral setting to help Trainers prepare for the upcoming battle.

"Venonat, I'm counting on you!"

"Veno-nat!" The Insect Pokémon nodded his body, his antennas twitching excitedly. With a bit of work, the Gym should prove to be an easy win for the both of us.

"Hey there, you look like a strong Trainer."

The feminine voice that had spoken made me whirl around in alarm, its sly tone causing me to half-expect seeing a gun pointed at my face. What I saw instead was an adolescent girl with dusky brown hair and a mischievous expression on her face. Her stature was one that I could only describe with the word "ninja", although I wasn't exactly sure what made me think so. She rather tall, and was dressed in a pink, half-sleeved shirt with black cargo pants and orange sneakers. Something about her made me feel uncomfortable, and I was immediately on guard.

"Do you need someone to battle with?" she continued. "It's been a while since I've had a decent match."

As she spoke, my eyes caught the sight of a gleaming pin in the girl's hair. It was a large, decorative accessory with the centerpiece shaped like a crescent moon. For some reason, it reminded me of the sword that lay concealed underneath my shirt, and I resisted the urge to finger it in her presence.

"If you want," I answered, trying to hide my distraction. The girl didn't seem to notice, however, and merely smiled.

"Great! My name's Larine, by the way."

I shook her hand, her fingers gripping mine like steel.

"I'm Swift Firestorm."

Larine froze for a moment, and I stiffened. Did my name mean something to her?

"That's a nice name," she said, recovering so fast that I began to think I had imagined her hesitation.

Our makeshift battlefield consisted of the largest clearing we could find that wasn't entirely full of grass. I retained my instinctive suspicion for Larine as we positioned ourselves on it, watching her closely. Maybe I was unsettled because I'd never had many female friends, although that usually didn't stop me from associating with them.

"Alright now, who should I use?" my opponent mused, snapping me out of my thoughts as she tapped her fingers along the tops of the minimized Poké Balls on her belt. After a minute, she plucked one off, twirling it on the tip of her index finger with a satisfied smile. "Come forth, Lumineon!"

From the dazzling flash of the Poké Ball emerged a rather large, aquatic figure. The Pokémon's scaly body was colored in a dark, almost-black teal, fringed by a pale turquoise. Its four dorsal fins were shaped like the wings of a Beautifly, while the two on its chest kept it balanced on the ground. I had never seen a Lumineon in person, but I knew enough about them in general to think it was a rather unusual Pokémon.

"We've gotta watch out for that one, Venonat," I admonished.

"Veno-nat!"

"You're welcome to have the first move," Larine began, still beaming. I wasn't sure whether or not the invitation was a trap, but I decided that it would be better if I tested Lumineon's abilities first than to wait for them to show it to me.

"Alright then, let's start out with a basic Tackle attack!" Venonat proceeded to charging forward as fast as his little feet could carry him, heading straight for Lumineon.

"Not taking me seriously yet, eh? Dodge it with Bounce!" Larine ordered.

_Bounce?_ I echoed, somewhat alarmed. I had been quite aware that Lumineon were capable of learning such an attack, but I didn't expect this one to know it. _That's a Flying type attack!_

As Venonat threw himself at the Water Pokémon, the target suddenly pushed itself off the ground with its chest fins, soaring high into the air by plastering its fins to its side. The Bug Pokémon paused, appalled at the sight, watching as Lumineon's shadow temporarily blotted out the sun.

"Look out!" I shouted, astonished that a Water type could jump so high. Venonat leapt aside just as the Neon Pokémon came plummeting down at breakneck speed, barely avoiding the attack.

"You're not going to get away _that_ easily. Whirlpool!" Larine commanded, regardless. I fully expected the attack to form at Lumineon's mouth, as it did for almost all Water Pokémon, but to my dismay water began to collect underneath it, torrents forming within seconds and sweeping Venonat away with the current. The Insect Pokémon trilled in panic as he was primarily thrown up into the air before landing back in the tide, getting washed closer and closer to the center of the Whirlpool in the middle of which sat Lumineon with a nonchalant look on its face.

"Use Confusion to neutralize the tide!" I ordered, thinking quickly. Venonat's body lit up with a blue radiance, suffusing the water with it as well. Even as I watched, the current slowed, came to a stop, and then began to spin in reverse. Larine's expression turned incredulous, and even her Lumineon looked confused as to why it could not control its attack. The Whirlpool soon unraveled itself, sending droplets of water flying in every direction. "Psybeam!"

Still in midair, Venonat fired a pair of multi-colored beams from his eyes. I had hoped to use their confusion to land the first attack on Lumineon, but Larine had already gotten her acts together.

"Counter with Silver Wind!"

"Luuuu!" the Neon Pokémon cried in its somber, melodic voice. The larger fins on Lumineon's body took on a silver glow, and when they were thrust forward, a gust of what looked like glitter shot forward, colliding with the Psybeam with a loud crash. For a moment, both forces struggled to gain the upper hand, but then Venonat's Psybeam dissipated, and the Silver Wind struck his helpless form.

"Venonat!" I called, concerned. The Insect Pokémon tumbled to the ground, but managed to maneuver himself back into standing position. Thankfully, because of the Poison half of his type, the attack hadn't been very effective, but he still looked a bit shaken. _Dang it, she's good, _I observed. _We can't even come near her..._

"You're not giving up yet, are you?"

"What?" I demanded, feeling somewhat offended at the question. "I'm not going to forfeit to someone who's wearing my least favorite color in the whole entire world."

Larine instinctively looked down at her shirt, which was (to my dislike) pink.

"What's wrong with pink?" she burst assertively. I guessed that pink was her favorite color. "It's my favorite color!" Go figure...

"Pink is so…so….bleh," I sniffed frankly. "I don't know how people can stand it." I didn't know what made me loathe the color pink so much, but every time I looked at it I felt irritated. Maybe that was why I had originally felt suspicious towards Larine, but the reason felt odd to me. In any case, I had semi-intended to offend her, and succeeded.

"Pink is a great color!" she insisted fervently. "Pink is for _girls_."

"That's just a stereotype," I argued, convinced and determined that I could never bring myself to like that color. "I hate pink." I punctuated the sentence by sticking my tongue out at her. Larine glared at me, frozen on the spot. The expression on her face made me want to laugh.

"Lumineon, Water Pulse!" she ordered briskly.

Our Pokémon, who had been waiting dumbfounded between our banter now jolted themselves awake. A large sphere of water materialized at Lumineon's lips, which was fired deftly in Venonat's direction.

"Psybeam, max power!" I called. Venonat obliged by repeating his former attack, this time with nearly twice as much energy. The offenses clashed loudly for a brief second before the Water Pulse exploded and Psybeam surged forward, hitting Lumineon in the face.

_Yes!_

"Bounce!"

Somehow using its miniscule flippers to stop itself form skidding across the grass, Lumineon propelled itself into the air, this time flying forward.

"Dodge!" I ordered even though I knew he couldn't make it. The counterattack had been too swift, and Venonat did not have the speed to react against it. Try as he might, the Insect Pokémon squealed with pain as the Neon Pokémon slammed into his side. Then I had an idea.

"Stun Spore!"

Despite his pain, Venonat managed to twirl his body like a drill, releasing a cloud of golden powder that soon enveloped Lumineon. The Water Pokémon whined as its mobility was suddenly restricted, small sparks flying from its hide.

"One more Psybeam!" I called just as Venonat regained his footing. His body shuddered with fatigue as he executed the attack, its chromatic rays landing dead-on. The Water Pokémon let out a mournful "Luuuu!" in pain as it was catapulted through the air, landing with a plop onto the grass. Wincing, Lumineon managed to prop itself shakily upright on its fins once more.

"Enough," Larine said finally, still looking irked about our argument over her favorite color. "You've done well, Lumineon."

"Luuu…"

I stared incomprehensively as the Neon Pokémon was withdrawn in a flash of red light.

"We weren't finished," I protested.

"That's okay." Larine said, her previous, mischievous demeanor returning as she smiled. Again I was on guard for any suspicious action. "Tell me, Swift, why do you battle?"

"What?" I blurted. The question was so unexpected.

"Why do you battle?" she repeated inquisitively. "In other words, why did you become a Trainer?"

I paused and thought about it. I have never actually considered that question, and as I thought about it, I realized that I didn't have an answer.

"I could ask you the same," I retorted briskly to defend myself. But Larine simply smirked.

"So you don't have an answer, don't you?" I answered her with a glare. She stretched, yawning, ignoring my gaze as she began to depart in the direction from which she had come. "Anyway, I'd better get going. It was nice meeting you...Swift Firestorm." Flashing me a look, she added, "I have a feeling we'll meet again."

The way Larine said my name made me stiffen as I watched her go, and I shook my head. I hoped by all means that I would _not_ see her again, and shuddered as I felt her strange presence leave.

"That girl just gets on your nerves, doesn't she, Venonat?" I asked, shaking my head. Hearing no response from the Bug type, I turned around.

"Veno…nat?"

Venonat was no longer there. Instead, hovering above the spot where he had been standing was a Pokémon with large, lavender wings, a narrow body, and a crown-shaped crest above his head.

"Ven…Venomoth!" I exclaimed as the white glow of evolution faded from his body.

"Venomoth-Venomoth!" trilled the Poison Moth Pokémon happily with his newer, more sonorous voice. I cheered, sharing his exuberance. It must've been the first good thing to happen so far on our journey.

* * *

After Venomoth's evolution, we discovered that the Poison Moth Pokémon had learned a couple of new moves, and spent some time familiarizing ourselves with the techniques. Then I moved on to train with Rhyhorn, even though I wouldn't be using him at the Gym. I wouldn't have been fair to only train Venomoth, and I wanted to make sure that I gave each of my Pokémon sufficient attention. I had the Spikes Pokémon run circuits around the training grounds to improve his agility, trying to distance ourselves from other Trainers so as not to disturb them. I flew for a while with Hisa as well, and put him through a few conditioning exercises to make sure he was still in shape. Other than the battle with Larine, I trained by myself for the entire day.

As we trained, I frequently began to refer back to Larine's question. Why did I battle? Why did I train? To anyone else, I would've simply said, "To get stronger", but the way Larine had asked the question made me ask myself, "Why do you want to get stronger?" As a ten year old, I would've mentioned something about the Pokémon League and wanting to be the best Trainer ever, but I felt like I had outgrown those reasons. There was another reason now, but I couldn't quite determine what it was. All I knew was that I had to keep training.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Not much happened, but I believe updating speed is picking up. The action and more interesting parts of the story should start showing up soon, and I hope I won't have any more writer's block on those parts. Hope you're all having a great summer, despite the heat. :D


	17. Chapter 16: Not Your Oridnary Day

**Author's Note: **I had to rewrite this chapter twice, since the original version came out far too long and boring to be of any interest. My head was hurting while I was editing the second half of this chapter, so if there's anything that I missed or if it seems like I left out some sort of detail, don't be afraid to tell me.

* * *

**Chapter 16: Not Your Ordinary Day**

A routine was quickly established: every morning I would wake up, eat, visit Eevee, and then hit the ground running with training. I had never really spent any quality time training all my Pokémon, usually just working with one or two of them for an upcoming Gym match and then exercising the rest to keep them in shape. Venomoth was quickly getting the hang of his new form and moves, excelling even at some aerial maneuvers that I had taught Hisa (except on a much smaller scale). Rhyhorn, though still the least agile Pokémon I possessed, learned how to make sharper turns by rearing and pivoting on his hind feet in order to change direction quickly while charging. As for Hisa…well, my Charizard was already an ace in my eyes, but I still wanted to make sure his skills stayed sharp. With only three Pokémon to train, and Eevee out of commission, my team swiftly improved.

Lunch was always something different, and I grew increasingly irked by the Pokémon Center's lack of noon and evening meals. Having to go out and buy my own food ate away at my savings, which sadly weren't as much as I would've liked them to be. I'd never had a habit of spending my money—in the past, Lance, Riley, and I had simply never battled many Trainers, practically living off our earnings from Gyms. Why hadn't we battled more? That was a good question, and the more I thought about it, the more I was convinced that we had been too eager to collect our Badges and advance to the Pokémon League. Riley had always cooked for us, cutting back on our expenses, but I soon realized how much experience we had missed out on. In the afternoon, I would find myself some Trainers to battle with on Route 7, and any fiscal challenges I had had quickly vanished.

My day usually ended with dinner and another visit to Eevee. Sometimes I would also fly over Celadon with Hisa, gazing over the landscape of glittering buildings in the twilight and half hoping–by some stroke of luck–that I might spot Lance or Riley. They had to be in Celadon, right? The accident hadn't happened far from here, so where else could they be? But no matter how much I looked, I could never find them.

Thus, three weeks passed.

My life had begun to feel almost ordinary, without all the hectic travelling and dealings with the mysterious Clan Seigen. I kind of enjoyed the peace, but at the same time itched to be back on the road again. I wanted to find my friends, and perhaps find out more about all these strange things that seemed to revolve around our trio. Sometimes I would almost laugh at myself for such thoughts; was I turning into a worrywart? Lance and Riley could take care of themselves, so what was I worrying about?

But I wouldn't have to worry for long; Eevee's recovery was complete by the end of the third week, and soon I would discover that my temporarily normal life would soon be anything but ordinary.

* * *

"Finish it with Psybeam!"

Particles of iridescent light coalesced at the tips of Venomoth's legs, and the attack was fired point blank at Erika's Victreebel as the Bug Pokémon closed in, blasting the Flycatcher Pokémon into a wall with a screech of pain. A resounding _thunk_ resonated from the collision, and the squash-shaped Pokémon collapsed, leaving a small, cracked dent.

"Victreebel is unable to battle—Venomoth wins!" declared the young, female referee standing off to the side of the battlefield. She raised an arm in our direction, and I grinned, grateful that our weeks of training had allowed Venomoth to escape pretty much unscathed.

"Good job, Venomoth!" I praised. My Pokémon let out a pleased drone, spinning himself around in midair. I let my gaze slide from him and down to the Evolution Pokémon that lay curled up nearby in the grass, watching the scene without much of an expression. He had been released from the Pokémon Center this very morning, looking as if nothing had happened to him aside from a missing patch of fur and a jagged scar zigzagging up his side. Instead of returning him to his Poké Ball, I had offered Eevee to walk around with me, since he hadn't really gone outside after his hospitalization. To my surprise, he went without complaint or an attitude of any kind, ambling along silently beside me during our stroll to the Gym.

"So, you wanna start training together yet, Eevee?" I asked.

The Normal type's eyes flickered in my direction for a brief moment, still not portraying any particular emotion before they returned to their former position.

"I'll take that as a maybe."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the grassy, spray painted outline of the battlefield, the Gym Leader, Erika, returned her defeated Pokémon. She was a relatively short woman (unfortunately, I was still shorter) with black hair cut above her shoulders, framing a pair of dark, stern eyes. A flowery, yellow kimono outfitted her slender figure, making her movements flow and seem deliberately graceful.

"It's been a while since I've seen such a skilled Pokémon in this Gym," she commented bitterly, making the compliment sound like criticism.

"Thanks," I responded, although I had the feeling that I shouldn't have said anything. Erika reached into the folds of her dress and drew another Poké Ball—her last one, at that.

"Go, Vileplume!"

A Pokémon with a blue, bucket-shaped body and stubby limbs of the same color emerged from the flash of light, balancing what appeared to be the petals of an oversized flower on its head.

"Vile-pluuuume!" the Flower Pokémon peered out at us with pupil-less eyes from underneath the shadows of a large, reddish-orange petal. I allowed myself a small smirk; even though this was Erika's main Pokémon, Venomoth still had all the advantages. This should've been a piece of cake.

"Alright, start it off with Sludge Bomb!" I ordered. The attack, which I had taught Venomoth using a TM I had bought, would only deal regular damage, but I wanted to see how Erika's Vileplume was capable of reacting. Venomoth obliged by launching a barrage of slimy, purplish-brown pellets at his opponent.

"Counter with Petal Dance!"

The plate-sized pore in the center of Vileplume's flower glowed bright pink, and a vortex of petals abruptly shot forth as the Grass Pokémon tilted its head, slicing through the Sludge Bomb before rushing towards Venomoth.

_It's fast!_ I thought, a split second too late. The flurry quickly enveloped the Poison Moth Pokémon, catapulting him into the foliage that lined the perimeter of the Gym. The attack shouldn't have done much damage, but I knew that Petal Dance had to be used continually until the user became confused from fatigue, and I wasn't going to wait that long. "Venomoth, Bug Buzz!"

From within the ruckus came a loud trill, which blasted the petals away from Venomoth in dull, yellow sound waves. The break lasted just long enough for the Bug Pokémon to wing his way to freedom before Vileplume could recover. He was scratched from the attack, but not seriously harmed.

"Don't let it get away!" Erika commanded, obviously aware that her Pokémon could not switch tactics. Her Vileplume gave a defiant cry of consent, readjusting its angle before executing another cyclone. The offense was still rapid, but this time we had time to act against it.

"Block it with Psychic!"

"Veno-moth!"

The Poison Moth Pokémon's eyes lit up, and the onslaught was suddenly stopped by an invisible force, unable to advance because of it. Frustrated, the Flower Pokémon launched its third and fourth attempts, which were also foiled. Now that Venomoth had advanced beyond the basic Confusion, his telekinetic abilities had increased to the point where he could do almost anything with them. Something like this was as easy as breathing.

"Vile…?"

Vileplume was tottering about now, most likely from the side effects of Petal Dance. Now was our chance to attack.

"Hit it with Psybeam!"

The multi-colored rays from Venomoth easily hit their mark, toppling the Grass Pokémon with a pained moan. Shaken from the force of the attack, Vileplume barely managed to get back to its feet, having taken severe damage due to its type. Erika gritted her teeth, acknowledging the fact that her Pokémon would not be able to last much longer.

"We'll have to settle this in one blow, then. Vileplume, use Solar Beam!"

After tottering about a while longer, the Flower Pokémon erected its posture, positioning its head readily as white light began to collect in its core. It was clear that after this attack, Vileplume would not have much strength left to fight.

"Let's finish it up as well—Psybeam, again, full force!" I barked. I knew Psybeam was barely half as powerful as Solar Beam, and that we didn't have the extra boost of a type matchup, but it might've been possible to reduce the strength of Vileplume's attack, if not take out the Grass Pokémon with a "super-effective" hit. We would have to see whose attack finished its preparations first.

Of course, Psybeam never was a time-consuming move, and soon Venomoth's offense was plummeting towards Vileplume, who had almost completed the charge.

"Fire it, Vileplume!" the Gym Leader called, almost frantically. With a final absorption of light, the Flower Pokémon spread its feet and unleashed an enormous blast of solar energy. The luminescence of the attack was so bright and radiant that I was forced to shield my eyes so as not to go blind. The two bodies of light collided in a beautiful display of shifting colors, both containing savage strength. For a minute, a flutter of hope filled my stomach as I contemplated whether or not Venomoth's Psybeam would win out—both attacks seemed equal in force.

But I should've known better than to think so; Vileplume's Solar Beam finally gained the upper hand, breaking through the Bug Pokémon's beam with ease and slamming into him with a loud _smack._

"Venomoth!" I shouted. His form was catapulted into one of the transparent walls of the greenhouse-Gym, the column of light lowering along with it until he disappeared into the foliage. "Venomoth, can you hear me?"

"Vile…pluu…."

The petals on the Grass Pokémon's head drooped, and Vileplume slunk down into the grass, exhausted and incapable of battling.

"Vileplume is unable to battle!" the referee announced, but stopped there. I knew why; if Venomoth was defeated, then Erika would have won and our match for that round would be a draw. But if not, then triumph would've come to my side.

"Venomoth!" I called again, growing more anxious and concerned. "Answer me if you're there!" Surely Venomoth couldn't have been taken down so easily? He had had twice the resistance to the attack. I watched the undergrowth intensely, but nothing happened. Could it be…?

Then there was a rustle. A moment later, it was accompanied by a slim body and a pair of lavender wings. I cheered, punching my fist through the air as the Poison Moth Pokémon slowly glided over to me, dazed and somewhat injured.

"The victory belongs to Swift Firestorm from Pallet Town!" concluded the referee. Erika's face seemed to turn sour as she returned her defeated Vileplume. I guess she wasn't all too happy about losing a match to one Pokémon.

"Great job today, Venomoth," I praised. The Poison Moth Pokémon landed on my head, emanating a tired, yet satisfied, hum. Withdrawing him to his Poké Ball, I turned to face Erika, who extended an open hand in my direction. Resting in the center of her palm was a small, flower-shaped object with petals that reflected the colors of the rainbow, surrounding a simple, metallic core.

"Well, Swift, I suppose this rightfully belongs to you now."

The Gym Leader offered a wan smile, regaining her composure. I could tell she was trying to be a good sport, but it was clear that her loss was giving her bitter feelings. I accepted the Rainbow Badge from Erika and thanked her for it, fastening it unto my belt next to the three others I had already acquired. Four down, four to go. I was personally pleased with the progress I had made over the past month or so (wow, already?), but it didn't feel complete without Lance or Riley around.

_Lance, Riley…where on earth are you guys? _

A mix of accomplishment and sadness filled me. Four Badges felt like a milestone, and it should have been, except my friends weren't around to share it as we were supposed to on our journey. I was actually surprised at how much I missed them; usually when the three of us were together, we never really expressed any of the closeness that we shared. Maybe we were close simply because the only friends we really had were each other. I'd never mentioned this before, but the three of us had actually been loners back in Trainer School, and we'd met because of it. Yes, there was actually a story behind our friendship...

_Heh, look at yourself Swift, _I thought. _Riley would make a laughingstock out of you if he knew you couldn't handle being by yourself. _The corners of my mouth curled slightly in amusement, so that Erika could not see. I'd always been the independent type.

I turned and headed for the exit. With a murmured summon, Eevee quickly fell in with my pace (his obedience surprising me a bit), and together we left the premises of the Celadon Gym and followed the path that led out into the city. It was a cloudy day, but otherwise the weather was fair. I thankfully couldn't detect any rain, since I planned on flying to Fuchsia on Hisa rather than bike there the traditional way. I didn't want to linger in Celadon any longer (I had no reason to), and flying would be the fastest way to travel. Besides, I had my own, personal reason for not using Cycling Road….

"So this is where you were."

There was a flash of green light, and suddenly I felt my body being blown into the air by some invisible force. My flight ended as I landed hard on my back, stars dancing in my eyes as instinct rolled me to my feet and my eyes searched incomprehensively for the source of the blow. Before my vision could focus, the force hit me again in the chest, harder than it had the first time. I was catapulted, airborne once more. The impact of my fall exploded through my body, and I gasped, for a minute too stunned to act. Then I heard the voice speak again, smooth and icy.

"Three weeks of searching and _this_ is where you were the whole time, you pipsqueak? What a waste of my time."

I groaned as I pushed myself up and staggered into standing position, my flesh screaming in pain. When my vision at last became clear, I saw a line of maybe fifteen men, all dressed in black uniforms, standing in an arc before me. Their spiked epaulets and trident-head insignias were all too familiar to me, trademarks of their "allegiance". Standing among their ranks was a tall, thin man with a shock of emerald hair, the only one in the group with a gray uniform. I tensed, recognizing his outfit as similar to the one of the man I had seen back in Pallet.

"Who are you?" I demanded, although in a sense I already knew.

"No one of importance to you," he answered, his bright eyes flaring green. Dread rose in my stomach as I realized that he must've had so called "aura" powers as well. That was what he had hit me with. After all the things I've seen, I wasn't surprised. "However, I'll take the liberty of informing you that I will be your executioner."

"_What_?" I burst, suddenly outraged. He wanted to _kill_ me? It was hardly a fair fight. I backed away uncertainly, hating the fact that the Celadon Gym was surrounded by a thick ring of trees that isolated it from the other buildings in the city. The men in front of me blocked the only exit.

"Lady Raine has ordered that you and your friends be exterminated for meddling on the _S.S Anne II_," he continued. "But, I am willing to spare your life if you'll tell me where the two boys are."

_What a petty deal,_ I thought. I didn't know where Lance and Riley were, and I couldn't tell them even if I wanted to. I, for one, did not like lying.

"Sorry, but I don't know," I said.

"Lies!" the man hissed, causing me to jump. His face contorted into a snarl, and the air around him began to shimmer and shift with emerald light. "You know where they are."

"No, I don't!" I spat, but I knew he wouldn't believe me. I clenched my fists, fighting off the urge to crack my knuckles. _Dang it, there's too many of them! I can't take them down!_

Suddenly I heard a hiss, and a stray bolt of electricity flew out into the open, striking the man in the gray suit. He howled in pain as his body lit up, his subordinates crying out in alarm as they moved to avoid the sparks that leapt from his silhouette. I stared, not understanding what had happened until I saw a brown blur dart in front of me, its fur crackling with power.

"_Eevee?_"

"Eee!" barked the Evolution Pokémon, a yellow radiance flaring around his body and lighting up his eyes. It dawned upon me that Eevee's mysterious powers and that of the green-haired man might be exactly the same.

"It's an Exceed!" one of the grunts exclaimed, jabbing an accusing finger at my Pokémon. Exceed? What did he mean?

"Kill them!" the man in the green hair ordered, clutching himself in pain. His subordinates scrambled for the Poké Balls at their belts.

"Get them, Eevee!" I shouted, pointing. The Normal type gave an impatient grunt, as if to say, "I know! You don't need to tell me!" before firing bolts of electricity that fanned out in every direction. More yowls filled the air as each of the men in black was electrocuted, their bodies falling unconscious one by one. For all my weeks of travel, Eevee had never shocked me that hard—his power must've been on par with Pokémon like Raichu, maybe even greater still.

_To have so much electrical power and not even be an Electric type…no, not even being originally capable of Electric attacks…it's pretty amazing._

I didn't have time to be awed, however, as the last of the men in black fell, leaving Eevee panting from exhaustion. Then, the Evolution Pokémon collapsed as well. I ran over to his side, asking if he was okay. I didn't want things to turn out like they had last time, with Eevee coming so close to death, but fortunately it didn't seem like they would. Eevee gave a small shock of response as I approached, and I would have relaxed were it not for the situation. I managed a smile out of gratefulness.

"Thanks, Eevee."

For the first time, the Normal type's lips curled into what could've been a smile, and as I returned him to his Poké Ball, I thought that perhaps Eevee may have changed after all. Maybe it would have been for the better, but now was not the time to worry about that.

"Tch, you got lucky there, kid," the man with green hair growled. "I was never told that you had an _Exceed_." His eyes narrowed, his mouth curling in disgust. I still did not know what he meant by "Exceed". "It's funny, though; you don't seem to be exercising any kind of aura…and to think that it _obeyed_ you…"

_There it is again, _I thought. _The word "aura"…what does it mean?_

"Don't get cocky yet, Sir Abelard."

I nearly jumped out of my skin at the sound of the voice–a voice that was as familiar as it was feminine. Without having to look, I knew it belonged to the last person I had expected to show up in a place like this.

A human figure literally fell out of the sky, landing so smoothly and straightening so quickly that its movements were inhuman—supernatural, even. The man's eyes widened in a mix of shock, confusion, and most of all, fear. I shared the earlier two emotions, recognizing the slender build, the dusky brown hair with the unusual golden clip, and that awfully pink shirt….

"L…L-Lady Larine!" the man stammered, confirming my suspicions and adding to my confusion.

"Larine?" I echoed. What on earth was she doing here?

The girl turned, and then I saw that indeed, it was Larine. She smiled in a friendly fashion upon spotting me, which she hadn't done when we had first met.

"Well hey there, Swift! How's it going?"

I simply stared at her with a gape that I didn't bother concealing. Things were getting stranger by the minute.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Well, that's it for this chapter. Things are going to get clearer from now on, especially with the "theme" of the story (which will be explained in the next update). I might also start getting into Swift's background, since I know that nothing much has been said about her past and her personality other than the fact that she likes to fight. Feel free to leave a review, if you care to.


	18. Chapter 17: Answers

**Author's Note: **I intended to update this chapter a few days ago, but unforunately, the storms we've been having in our area messed up my Internet for two days, and I had a hard time editing this chapter because of its original length and complexity. Well, I'll finally be explaining the "theme" of my fanfiction in this chapter, so if there's anything you don't understand or something that needs clarifying, please let me know. Thanks! :)

* * *

**Chapter 17: Answers**

"L-Lady Larine!" the man whom Larine had called Sir Abelard stammered again. "W-what're you doing here? I thought you―"

Larine's head suddenly whipped toward his direction, her eyes shooting such a venomous glare that Sir Abelard cringed under it, unable to continue. I wondered what kind of relationship the two of them shared; they obviously knew each other, but not in a friendly way—of that I was sure.

"That's enough out of you for today," Larine said coldly, extending her arm in a familiar gesture that I had only seen once. The pin in her hair glinted, even though there was no sunlight, and then vanished altogether. Looking again, I saw that an ornate, golden staff had appeared in her hand, odd patterns crawling along its length and wrapping themselves around the large, crescent-shaped piece that sat at the top of the rod. It seemed to emanate an air of power and authority that made me want to shrink away from its presence. Sir Abelard backed away abruptly, his entire body quivering with fear.

"N-n-no no no! Please w-wait!"

Ignoring his pleas, Larine stretched out her arm, her irises flashing as a pink sphere of energy coalesced between the prongs of the moon on her staff, expanding so quickly that its light cast shadows on the ground around us. Sir Abelard screamed, too stricken with terror to move as Larine swung, the orb exploding forward and sending up small shockwaves of air that jarred my body. It slammed into its target even as he threw up his arms in self-defense, to my surprise failing to blast him backwards. Instead, it seemed to seep into his body, causing his eyes to dull and roll back into his head before his entire body went limp and he collapsed. I blinked, slightly dazzled at how fast it had all happened.

"What…did you do to him?" I asked, finally finding my voice. Though still a bit awed by the brilliant display and somewhat grateful for Larine's intervention, I hoped by all means that that man wasn't…dead.

"Oh I just put him to sleep for a few good hours," she replied flippantly, waving her staff and acting like nothing unusual had happened. "Nothing difficult."

"Then why the big show?"

Larine chuckled, flashing a mischievous grin in my direction that made me skeptical of her answer.

"Just to give him a little scare." With a more careful motion, she made another sweep with her staff, and suddenly the bodies of the unconscious men around us were hoisted into the air by an unseen force, floating into the branches of the trees nearby where they were laid easily out of sight, seemingly of their own accord. "There," Larine said, looking satisfied. "Now come on, we need to get going."

"We?" I echoed, raising an eyebrow. Savior or not, I wasn't just about to run off with someone I barely knew, especially now that I knew she had "powers". Larine gave me a cautioning, yet questioning look.

"Swift, you need to understand what's going on here. Those people were trying to kill you, even though neither of you knew who you each really were. I think it's about time you found out."

"What do you mean?" I inquired, confused. "I don't get what you're saying."

Larine inclined her head, a shadow creeping over her face as she gazed at me steadily.

"Where's your weapon, Swift?"

I froze. How did she know about my sword, just like Kai had? I tensed, preparing myself to run in case Larine should prove to be an enemy.

"Look, I'm not trying to hurt you," Larine said impatiently, glancing around like she was on edge. "I just want to help you understand what's going on. I can tell you everything you need to know, but if you don't want to believe me, then fine. Right now though, we need to get away in case those guys have any reinforcements hanging around. What do you say?"

She had a point. If I went with her, I would finally know what this whole mess was about, and for once I might not get beat up by wierd men claiming to have the power of aura. It was worth a shot.

Grumbling my consent, the two of us took off down the road and headed toward the western end of the city. The streets were bustling with late-morning rush hour, especially near the more developed parts of the area. We wove our way through the crowds, fortunate enough to avoid mowing any of the other pedestrians down. I found it increasingly difficult to keep up with Larine, whose stride was noticeably longer than mine; my short legs and low stamina forced me to push my body to the limits, which was tiring to say the least. Oh if only I were taller and not so out of shape….

I was relieved when Larine finally slowed to a walk at the outskirts of Celadon. My body ached from the abuse it had just undergone, and my breaths came up in rapid pants of fatigue. I refused to ask if we could rest, though, since Larine looked completely fine and the thought of needing to stop made me feel pathetic. Some Trainer I was if I couldn't even keep myself fit.

We followed the path leading into the scraggly little length of Route 16, which wasn't even a quarter of a mile long. It was populated with thin forests and a few spots of open land, a lone house dotting the countryside in the distance but otherwise housing no other signs of civilization. At the end of the road was a small building, which I recognized as a gate that marked the end of the Route. Even as we approached, I could tell that it sat at the edge of a deep slope, which fell away into an ocean of dark, ominous trees that stretched as far as the eye could see. Extending from the back of the gate was an impossibly long highway whose thick supports were buried in the forest below, keeping it raised high over the treetops.

"We're…not going on Cycling Road, are we?" I asked, talking about the highway that was made for bikes rather than cars.

"What's wrong with Cycling Road?" Larine questioned, not even stopping to turn around. "We can rent bikes and pedal our way across before the day ends."

I stopped dead in my tracks, for that moment not caring to wonder why Larine wanted to go to Fuchsia as much as I originally had. Of course it would be natural for her to assume that we _could_ use Cycling Road, but….

"I can't ride a bike."

Now it was Larine's turn to stop dead. She stood there for a moment before turning to me with disbelief scrawled on her face.

"What do you mean you can't ride a bike?"

"I can't ride one," I repeated, averting my gaze. "Never learned." Thus, one of my most embarrassing secrets was revealed. Not being able to ride the contraption wasn't the thing that was mortifying, but the fact that I hadn't learned because I had been afraid of breaking every bone in my body was what abashed me. Of course, that was a long time ago, but I wasn't about to hop on a bike any time soon and show the whole world that a fifteen year old couldn't to ride it.

"WELL, that was unexpected." Larine crossed her arms and stared off into the distance thoughtfully. Meanwhile I shifted uneasily, trying to focus to my attention on the blanket of clouds overhead. "That sets my plans back, but on the other hand…." Without finishing her sentence, she suddenly faced forward, pointing at the undergrowth that protruded from the side of the gate." Alright then, let's go down there. There's no path, but if we stay under Cycling Road, we should be okay."

Still feeling ashamed, I didn't argue as we continued our walk. I didn't even ask her what her "plans" were.

* * *

The foliage was pretty dense, but not unmanageable. The initial part of the trek was the worst, with rugged roots and rocks jutting out from the side of the steep slope as though they were determined to trip us and send us tumbling down to our possible deaths. It was a slow hike, but eventually we were able to pick our way down to the forest floor, which was bare of undergrowth and shadowed by the thick canopy of leaves far above our heads.

We continued through the woods with less difficulty, though every tree trunk and clearing seemed to mirror each other without fault. Our only directional reference was that of the thick, ominous band of Cycling Road looming overhead, darkening the parts of the forest that it passed over. Once, we even passed by one of its supporting pillars, the bottom of which was turning brown with age and soil.

It seemed as though we hadn't gone far when Larine unexpectedly tossed her small backpack (which I hadn't noticed until then) to the ground, seating herself on an old log with a huff. The wood moaned, a sound that seemed unnaturally loud in the quiet atmosphere we had travelled in—if there were Pokémon in the area, we certainly hadn't heard them.

"Why're we stopping?" I asked, puzzled.

"We don't need to go any further for now," she said simply, not meeting my gaze. "Those people won't find us here."

"But wouldn't it be better if we covered more ground anyway?" I argued, not really trusting her judgment. Larine shook her head.

"I want to stay here for a while, to talk about a few things. You probably have a lot of questions...right?"

I nodded, not comprehending how she had read my thoughts. Unburdening myself as well, I lowered myself onto a smooth, flat rock. We were in a small, comfortably-sized clearing—large enough for a Pokémon battle, yet tight enough that I didn't feel exposed to the sky. I stretched my tired limbs, feeling quite at home.

"Who were those people back there?"

"Members of an organization named Clan Seigen," she replied, though that much I had already guessed. "They're a criminal organization operating under the command of Guardians who've betrayed the Legendaries."

"Whoa whoa whoa," I cut in, frowning at what she had just told me. Did she really expect me to believe all that? "_Guardians?_ "Larine gave me a baffled look.

"Don't you know who Guardians are?"

"Well yeah, but…they don't exist anymo―"

I flinched as I suddenly found the pointed hook of Larine's staff not even an inch away from my face, it and Larine's body flaring with a magenta luminescence that radiated waves of pure anger.

"Guardians don't exist anymore? Don't make me laugh, Swift—you _are _a Guardian! You_'re looking_ at one!"

I was too stunned to speak. _I _was a Guardian? _She_ was a Guardian too? Is that why she had those powers? Is that why I had a sword? No, she _had _to be kidding! Guardians haven't been around for hundreds of years! There's no way they could exist now...could they? I felt like I was being smothered in Larine's fury, unable to do anything but stare into her rage-filled eyes. Finally, with a sniff, Larine drew back, her staff returning to its alternate state and the glow fading from around her body as she sat back down. I shuddered, trying to shake off the last bits of her anger that seemed to reverberate in the air. Guardians...did they really exist?

"...How?" I managed to say at last, recovering some composure. "How is it that you and I are Guardians?"

Larine gave me a look before proffering her hand, saying, "Show me your weapon."

I was reluctant at first, but I knew there was no point in hiding it from her. Removing the chain from around my neck, I pulled out the miniature sword and handed it to Larine, who took it wordlessly. She seemed fascinated by it as she turned it over numerous times, frowning once as though something troubled her, but then returning to her previous demeanor.

"This, Swift, is an aura weapon—your aura weapon, to be precise. It's a sign that you've been chosen to wield the powers of a Legendary, and that your aura has manifested enough to support your powers."

"What powers?" I asked. "I don't remember ever having any."

Larine gave me a surprised look, as though it should have been obvious.

"The power of aura, Swift. It's the only kind of power the Aura Guardians have." She straightened, returning the miniature sword which I replaced on my neck. "Aura is what you could consider to be your 'life force'—it keeps you alive. Every living thing has an aura, though that doesn't necessarily mean they can use it. What makes Guardians so special is that, by having Legendaries give them additional powers, their aura is capable of growing and changing in ways that normal aura cannot. The..._evolution, _you could call it, allows their human bodies to exercise Legendary-bestowed powers which they would otherwise be unable to use."

"What do you mean by 'Legendary-bestowed'? Are those the supernatural ones that they were said to have?"

"Yup. Legendaries give powers according to their own type, such as the ability to control water, fire, shadows, etc. How strong their powers are in each Guardian also varies, but that's usually depending on the person."

"What are your powers, then?" I questioned, finding myself more and more eager to learn about the Guardians. I wasn't sure what piqued my sudden interest, since only a moment ago I'd thought they didn't even exist. "And how do I know what my powers are?"

"My _innate_," she corrected, looking rather proud, "is of the Psychic type. I can affect things with my mind by moving them and inflicting them as I wish. I can't, however, enter people's minds or read their thoughts, though sometimes I can sense their general emotions. As for _your_ powers...it's not something I can simply read off your face. You'll have to discover them for yourself."

_Well that explains a lot, _I muttered inwardly. Though I still slightly doubted this whole concept of Guardians and whatnot, part of me wondered how I could go about learning to control my powers. It would come in handy...in my opinion.

"In any case," Larine went on, clearing her throat, "Guardians were originally created to serve the Legendaries, and ultimately, Arceus. However, the Guardians in Clan Seigen are planning to catch the Legendaries and release Giratina so that he can take revenge on Arceus for banishing him to the Reverse World."

"Sounds a little...farfetched, don't you think?" I said, raising my eyebrows. I was already having trouble believing the stuff about the Guardians, and here Larine was making everything sound that much more childish. My head was throbbing at that point as she shrugged.

"It doesn't matter what it sounds like; it's simply the truth," she stated. "Whether or not you believe me is up to you; I'm not going to try to convince you to do anything."

I thought about it for a minute. Legendaries _had_ been captured in the past, but usually they had also been released not long after due to the inability to confine them. If we were dealing with _Guardians_, then maybe we were looking at an entirely different situation. The way Larine put it, though, made it sound as though Clan Seigen intended to capture each and every single Legendary before releasing Giratina. Were they capable of doing that? And how did Larine know all this anyway?

"Larine," I said, looking her in the eye, "who are you?"

Larine averted her suddenly blank gaze. After a pause, she said, "That...isn't something you need to know."

"Then why should I trust you?" I spat.

"Because right now I'm the only one who can help you," she retorted, baring her teeth in frustration. I blinked at her abrupt change in mood. "Swift, you're going to have to learn how to use your aura whether you like it or not. Either way, you're going to get caught up in this mess, and it would be better if you knew how to use it than not."

_How am I going to get mixed up in something I have yet to believe in?_ I growled. I felt like Larine was pushing me now, though not for a bad reason. Still, I didn't like the idea she was impressing on me of not being able to make my own choice. Would it really be better if I knew how to use aura? It would guarantee getting running into Clan Seigen again. Not only that, but it might also mean that I might not be able to find my friends or have time to collect my final four Badges. Those weren't things that I wanted to give up so easily.

But what if Larine was right and I _did_ run into Clan Seigen anyway? I wasn't going to be fortunate enough to survive every encounter I had with them. However, if I could fend them off, maybe I could get them back for meddling in my journey thus far, and keep them from bothering me and my friends again. Maybe then I wouldn't have to make any of the sacrifices mentioned above.

"Fine," I relented. "I'm not saying I believe everything you've said, but if it reallly is better for me, then I guess I don't have a choice."

Larine stared at me for a while, and then smirked.

"Well, I didn't think you'd be so easily convinced," she confessed with a laugh, "but that saves us some time trying to persuade you."

"How long does it take to learn how to use aura?" I inquired. She made it sound like it took years.

"Well, at our rate, you should have all of your basic skills by the end of two weeks."

"That's it?" I couldn't help blurting. Was she serious? Larine chuckled.

"I'm not going to sit here for months on end trying to tutor you. Besides, you look like a sturdy, dedicated person—you should be able to handle it." I raised my eyebrows. Sturdy? I should be able to handle it? That didn't sound good.

A gurgle suddenly found its way into the atmosphere. I looked at Larine.

"Ehehe...guess I'm kind of hungry," she admitted with a nervous laugh. "Why don't we eat, and then we'll get started on your training?"

Come to think of it, I _was _getting pretty hungry. I wondered how long we had been talking.

As Larine moved to set up a cook fire, I thought back again to the decision I had just made. I felt like slapping my face with my hand.

What on earth did I just get myself into?

* * *

**Author's Note: **I spent two hours editing the second half of this, only to have it all ruined when I pressed backspace to delete something and it sent me back to the previous web page. Dx Therefore, the second half of the chapter might be slightly sloppier than the first, and if it seems unconsistent or rushed, I'd appreciate it if you'd tell me.

Well, I'm glad it came out a thousand words shorter than my original draft. I didn't really realize what a complicated concept I had made until I tried explaining it here, and I didn't want to put all of you guys to sleep with redundant conversation between Swift and Larine. Again, if there's something that needs further clarification, please let me know.

I'm a little frustrated with my fanfiction at the moment, so the next chapter will probably take a while to produce. Review as you see fit. ^-^


	19. Chapter 18: Memories

**Chapter 18: Memories**

I was slightly apprehensive about my first training session. I didn't know what to expect, or how I should prepare myself for what was to come, but I hoped that by all means this _training_ wasn't as torturous as Larine had made it sound.

Sometime after our lunch, we relocated to another clearing nearby, leaving our belongings behind in "camp". This one was more spacious than the last; at least two good battlefields long and completely void of any obstacles. I wondered why we needed all the space when there were only two of us around.

"This will be our training grounds from now on," she explained, gesturing around us. "We'll be using it to help you develop your basic skills."

"Why not use the other clearing?"

"Because that one provides better shelter," Larine retorted critically with a look, "and I don't want to wreck it."

I gulped. What, was she expecting to blow the place up?

"As for your first lesson," she went on, "you and I are going to have a little wrestling match to start things off."

"You want me to _fight_ you?" I burst, dumbfounded. Larine hadn't appealed to me as someone who was capable of brawling—personality wise, anyway.

"Precisely. The goal of this lesson is to get you to use your aura on your own, and we're going to draw it out by fighting and you to your limits."

"Oh…okay." That didn't sound very promising. It wasn't what I had expected, but it sounded simple enough. I was somewhat skeptical about sparring with another girl, though; I'd never done it before.

"Not hard eh?" She flashed me a smile; it was almost demonic. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll pass." She shifted into a readily position, still smirking as she said, "Have at me, Swift."

Adrenaline was already working its way into my limbs. The thought of brawling always got me pumped up, just as the thought of battling did, even though it was between Pokémon. I grinned with anticipation. I couldn't wait to see what kind of opponent Larine would turn out to be.

Without a moment's hesitation, I launched myself forward, clearing the distance between us in a single stride while simultaneously drawing my arm back. In the blink of an eye, Larine had moved, intercepting my blow with her forearm. I didn't falter, quickly positioning my other fist for an uppercut punch. To my surprise, she blocked it as well.

"Your reflexes aren't half bad."

Ignoring her comment, I jumped backwards to gain some time, only to jerk myself aside as Larine lunged at me, her fist grazing my cheek. I stumbled back a step or two, then promptly charged at my target once more. Somehow, Larine was inhumanely fast, and it would _not_ be good to let her catch me off guard.

I soon learned that it was nigh impossible to land a hit on Larine. In fact, I was too busy defending myself to attack. She moved with the speed of a Ninjask and struck with the ferocity of a Gyarados. I received bruises from blocking and being struck by her blows, as well as scrapes from diving and rolling to escape from her wrath. I'd never injured myself so much from simply _defending_. Was there that much of a gap between our capabilities?

I didn't know how much time had passed, but I quickly tired from the rigorous pounding I had endured. My movements became noticeably sluggish, and I was able to evade less and less of the attacks coming my way. Larine, on the other hand, didn't appear to have broken a single sweat.

Finally, Larine aimed a swift high-kick at my head, and at that point my body was no longer able to react accordingly giving way to the force of her blow. Sharp pain erupted in my temples as I toppled over and hit the ground hard, my eyes swimming with colors and my skull throbbing like a herd of Tauros was stampeding around inside of it. My entire being protested with pain as I tried to get up and move. I was vaguely aware of Larine standing over me, her impassive, downturned face shadowed.

"Is that all you've got, Swift?"

_Don't…insult me_, I growled, but mobility was impossible for me; my body was petrified with pain. No matter how badly I wanted to get up and sock her in the face, I just couldn't get up.

"I'm not going to hide my disappointment," Larine said after a pause. My hands twitched, trying to get into a position to push myself up, but the effort proved to be too much for me and my muscles slackened. Larine sniffed in contempt and turned away. "I thought you could do better, Swift."

I froze. An image of a pair of sneakers on hard-packed dirt entered my mind as everything before me collapsed into a uniform, mottled gray, and I closed my eyes. I'd heard those words before—a long, long time ago...

* * *

_"Swift Firestorm!"_

_ I glanced up into the stern face of a shrewd-looking woman, her back slightly bent over my desk as she scrutinized me with her sharp eyes._

_ "Go down to the principal's office."_

_ "What did I do?" I asked, utterly confused._

_ "Nothing," the woman said, straightening. She adjusted her frameless glasses idly, adding, "The principal would just like to see you."_

_ About seven years ago, when I was still in Trainer School, I was called down to the principal's office for some unknown reason. Back then, I was a dedicated student, with good grades and exceptional battle skills for my age. The only drawback was that I was extremely quiet; I seldom spoke to my peers and pretty much had no friends, but that didn't bother me._

_ Walking into the principal's office, I was startled to find two other boys already seated in the available chairs: Lance Kumori and Riley Arum. They were much younger looking back then, of course (and shorter than me, if I might add), and I hadn't yet known them prior to that day. So it came as a surprise to me when the principal–a somewhat portly man with graying hair and a gentle voice–announced that the three of us had been chosen to represent the school in a nation-wide competition against other academies in Kanto and Johto. He explained that we had been picked because of our "excellent grades" and "talent" in battling._

_ Anyone in their right mind would've felt honored to be able to take part in such an event, but I, for one, was resentful. I didn't want to work in a group—I fought alone and only alone; I didn't need help. What's more, I hated the idea of competing against others of my skill level in a tournament that was bound to witnessed by quite a crowd. I didn't want the whole world to see me lose, if I _did_ lose. Unfortunately, that was out of the question._

_ The competition was held in Vermillion City, where we received rental Pokémon along with information regarding the format of the tournament. Each battle would be in the odd format of three versus three, meaning every Trainer and Pokémon from the same school would be on the battlefield at the same time. The purpose of the layout was to get all the team members to work together to win._

_ "Heh, this'll be easy," Riley scoffed, eyeing the Poké Ball he had received with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. He looked extremely childish, even for an eight year old. Meanwhile I simply stared down at the mechanical orb in my hands, beginning to dread what was to come._

_ "Don't worry, we'll be okay," Lance had said, butting into my thoughts. He was smiling, but not cockily like Riley was._

_ "How do you know?" I half-challenged, simply out of nature. Instead of looking hurt, his grin widened._

_ "Because we're friends, aren't we? We're here to help each other."_

_ "Friends?" I'd never had "friends" in my life; what made him think he was my friend?_

_ "Well, you're not my enemy, are you? So that makes us friends."_

_ Lance's positive, good-natured attitude was something I couldn't fathom. I didn't understand how Riley could have such a big ego, either; to me, him and Lance were both just a pair of the strangest kids I had ever met._

_ The day of the first round was bright and clear, a stark contrast to the darkening storm cloud that I felt was looming over my head. The crowds were massive, but maybe they only seemed that way because of my delirium. Either way, it didn't help the situation._

_ Our first opponent was a school from Goldenrod City, represented by three boys. They looked ordinary—nothing about them stood out to me in any way. Even so, the thought of facing them gripped me with apprehension. What if I lost? What if I was too nervous to battle? It was too late to turn back now, though._

_ A fresh breeze blew into the battlefield when the battle began. The referee's voice was muffled in my ears, my hands trembling as__ I threw the Poké Ball to summon my borrowed Pokémon, a Poochyena. The fighting quickly became fierce, and my panicky mind made it tough to focus on the chaotic tangle. I could barely call out my commands, and by the looks of things, the battle wasn't going very well in our favor._

_ I had been facing a Magby the entire round, which quickly subdued my Poochyena with a few Ember attacks. The Dark type snarled in pain as it landed, burns covering its body. The Magby approached, a triumphant smirk on its face. I hesitated._

This is it_, I thought. _I'm really going to lose.

_Just when I least expected it, a strong Water Gun arced through the air and struck the Fire Pokémon in the chest, blasting it backwards. I looked up and saw Lance's rental Poliwag, and Lance himself standing behind it._

_ "Having trouble?" he asked, grinning. I scowled, but then spotted __a green figure leaping out from behind the Water Pokémon. It was a Bellsprout, whose vines were extended readily._

_ "Tackle, Poochyena!" I shouted. The Bite Pokémon lunged and threw itself up at the Grass Pokémon, sending it sprawling on the ground while the the Dark type landed neatly on all fours._

_ "Thanks," Lance said, as though I had done nothing more than pick up something he had dropped. I shrugged. "You know, that's what friends are for," he added._

_ I paused. "Friends…huh?" He nodded._

_ "Hey! We're not done yet!" Riley protested. "Don't make me do all the work!"_

_ I later figured out that that was his personal way of asking for help. It might sound cheesy, but somehow on that day the three of us started to become friends. Even I, who hadn't had many friends in the past, had begun to open up. It was like we had been friends for years._

_ Our teamwork quickly paid off. We won the first round and swiftly progressed up the tourney tree, growing stronger seemingly with each victory. We were almost surprised to find ourselves at the semi-finals._

_ The semi-final match was especially difficult. Our opponent was a team also composed of two boys and a girl, and was just as skilled as we were. The battle must've dragged on well past half an hour. My Poochyena was thrown out of the fray, and while I waited for it to get to its feet, I saw an opening that would allow us to win: the enemies were clustered so tightly together that it would be easy to take them out with one, strong blow. The problem was that Lance and Riley's Pokémon were deeply engrossed in the knot as well; if I took the opening, I would have to hit them too._

_ I mulled over the decision. I didn't want to betray my new friends, but at the same time, I wasn't the kind of person who just sat there and let opportunities pass by. When I fought, I fought to win. When I attacked, I went for the kill (not literally, of course)._

_ "Poochyena, use Take Down, full power!"_

_ I knew I had made the wrong choice almost as soon as the attack was executed. Every Pokémon that was hit was too exhausted from the drawn-out fight to endure it, and fainted after being thrown into the air. Even my Poochyena blacked out after we were declared the winners._

_ "What was that for?" Riley exploded. My gaze was fixed downwards on his feet, too shame faced to look him and Lance in the eyes._

_ "I'm sorry," I mumbled, angry with myself._

_ "Sorry?" Riley spat. "I thought you could do better, Swift." He stormed off the battlefield without a second thought, enraged. For a moment, Lance and I stood by ourselves, unmoving._

_Then: "Why?"_

_ "I don't know."_

_ "There has to be a reason."_

_ "I thought…I thought it was the only way to win." I confessed haltingly. There was another pause._

_ "Why did you want to compete in this tournament?"_

_ My first answer would've been that I _didn't_ want to compete in the first place. But that wasn't entirely true. Over time, I had come to _want_ to stay in the tournament. Why? Because of Lance and Riley. If it weren't for them, I would've given up after the first round. Realizing that, I really began to hate myself for what I had done._

_What were my friends for, if I was just going to turn on them like that?_

* * *

Larine had asked me why I fought. The answer had been so difficult to come up with just a few days ago, but now I realized that it was so clear and simple: I didn't fight just to win, or just for the heck of it. I fought for my friends. I fought for them because they had always fought for me. Had I been too blinded with the desire to become a Trainer to see that?

_I really am pathetic…aren't I?_ I thought.

_Then get stronger. _A voice argued. _Get stronger so you can be a better person. Isn't that what you want?_

_ Yes…but only for my friends._

Energy suddenly suffused my body. My eyes flew open as power burned its way into my blood, its strength so intense that I felt that I would simultaneously combust if I didn't release it somehow. I sprang to my feet, like wings were attached to my ankles.

"It's not over yet, Larine," I growled, rushing forward. Larine whipped around, her face contorted with shock for just a brief second before I slammed my fist into her gut. It was like punching a stuffed animal. She flew a good thirty feet before hitting the base of a tree, rolling reflexively away as I punched downward, splintering the bark like glass.

"Swift, _STOP!_" Larine shouted frantically, raising an arm in defense as I drew back for another blow. I hesitated, and then lowered my arm. For a moment, we both remained motionless, panting. Then Larine grinned. She seemed to be smiling at something I couldn't see.

Automatically, I looked down at my hands.

A white glow had almost completely receded from my skin; taking along with it the fiery energy that I felt was leaving my body.

"Now _that_ is what I'm talkin' about," Larine said.

* * *

**Author's Note: **A month and a half later and we finally have Chapter 18: yay! After all the writer's block and school work I've gone through to get this chapter up, I hope it came out better than my other drafts. :) I also have a few couple I'd like to ask:

In regards to the storyline so far, how well do you think the plot is developing? Is it too slow? Too fast? Too confusing? Too boring? That's something I'd really like to know so that I can try to imrpove where I can.

Same question with characters: how are they developing? Are they too dull or shallow? Do they seem to lack a personality of some kind? Character impersonization (I think that's a word) isn't something I'm entirely great with, so I really need feedback on that too.

I've also got a few things to say: first of all, I'm sure I'm not the only author on whose updating speed will be slowed by school. For some reason, I keep getting projects and reports one right after another, so unfortunately, I'll probably only be able to update about once a month. Knowing me, though, I guess it's not much of a difference since my updating speed is irregular anyway. xD

Second, in relation to the first point, I don't think I've ever said that in the past and even now, all my chapters have been written on paper first before getting typed up and edited on . Now that I think about it, that may be why it takes me so long to update (not counting all my writer's block and stuff), and may consider just typing all my drafts on the computer to begin with. The thing is, I'm usually not inspired to write on the computer, and it's inconvenient because I can't really take it with me to work on in places where I don't have computer access. I'll have to think about it, but if all goes well, we might be seeing some faster updates. (;

Whoa that's a big author's note o.o Well, leave a review if you'd like, and until next time, let's hope for a swift update. :) Have a great day!


	20. Chapter 19: Resumption

**Chapter 19: Resumption**

_Seventh stance, aural pulse._

I let power slide out from my fingertips, a white shockwave exploding outward from them and passing harmlessly through the trees. A soft gust rose up, stirring the branches and causing soil from the ground to be thrown up into the air. I lowered my arm slightly, crossing it with the other and extending my fingers so that they were level with one another.

_Eight stance, aural seal._

I drew on more power, this time letting it gush out on its own. I made sure to keep its flow in check as it rippled across the floor, illuminating the entire forest with its radiance. The ground shook violently with its force, and it took all of my concentration to stay balanced in that position.

_Ninth stance…aural judgment._

I quickly retracted my arms, clapping my palms together and unleashing every last bit of strength I had in my body. The waves of power that had been undulating from me folded upwards into a tight column, making the air tremble with its intensity. I gritted my teeth, the concentration of the aura simply bent on taking me down. I cast aside the discomfort in my mind, knowing that if I didn't focus everything would fall apart.

_Just…a little longer._

Finally I felt the energy relaxing in my muscles, and I let a small smile creep onto my face. I thrust my arms outward to release the tension within them, and then slowly let them drop to my sides. The pillar of light flared outward in response, dissipating into nothingness.

_Finally..._

I stood panting with exhaustion, sweat forming on my skin. Despite that, I didn't feel as tired as I thought I would be. Not long ago I wouldn't have been able to remain standing.

"How do you feel?"

I glanced up to see Larine looking down at me from the lower branch of a tree, crouched like a predator ready to pounce.

"Good," I said, grinning. Larine offered a slight smile, nodding grimly.

"That's good…now you've completed your training."

"What?" I blurted, surprised. "That's it?"

"That's it. It's already been fourteen days, Swift; haven't you noticed? I've taught you all the basics—the rest is up to you."

I let the fact sink in. I had power now, and I could use it. What I wanted to do now was all up to me.

"Let's have dinner," Larine decided, cutting into my thoughts. "We'll discuss our plans for tomorrow after."

* * *

I'd gotten so used to living on instant ramen and canned food that I could've eaten a rock without a problem. Turns out that Larine didn't know how to cook, and I only had a vague idea on how to make omelets (the ingredients for which we didn't have), so we had been living off of non-perishable food products for two weeks, which I suppose was better than having no food at all.

"Ugh, I can't wait to get to Fuchsia," Larine groaned. "I'm sick and tired of this food." She threw her fork into an empty can with a loud clang, glaring contemptuously at it as though it were capable of glaring right back.

"You shouldn't be complaining since you were the one who suggested living out here for two weeks," I teased, setting my own utensils aside. "Besides, it isn't all _that _bad."

"Not everyone can eat just anything like you can," she muttered, "and it's not like we could just train you at the Pokémon Center like a Pokémon."

I narrowed my eyes at her, but didn't pursue the subject. Instead I reclined on a fallen log (courtesy of an accidental Pokémon battle, but that's another story) and let myself immerse in the moment.

_Two weeks already? That means it's been more than a month since I've seen Lance and Riley. _I sighed. Life felt extremely quiet without those two around. After spending almost five years without them, I didn't think I'd be separated from them again so soon; I was almost beginning to become accustomed to it.

"Well, I guess we should decide what we're going to do now," Larine said, watching the flames flicker in their nest of brambles. "I can't teach you anymore, so staying here won't do either of us any good."

I nodded. "Personally, I want to go ahead to Fuchsia. I need to get my Soul Badge, among other things."

Larine cast an inquisitive glance in my direction.

"That's not _all_ you're after, is it? I don't think you would've put up with me for two weeks just so you can get your_ Soul Badge_."

"No, I wouldn't have," I admitted with an amused chuckle. I remembered that I hadn't told Larine about my missing friends, which I suppose was my real reason for moving on. I still didn't have the slightest inkling as to where to start looking for them, though. "Have you heard of that boat that happened near Celadon?"

"The one that was supposedly caused by territorial Gyarados?" Larine scoffed, as though she didn't believe what the reporters had said (and she had every right to). "Yeah, what about it?"

I explained what had actually happened on that day, contrary to what everyone else had believed. I told her about the woman, Raine (whom I realized now was probably a Guardian), and about Kai and how my friends had gone missing after the incident. At first Larine remained silent, showing no particular response to any of the details until I mentioned Raine and Kai.

"Are…are you sure his name was _Kai_?"

"Yeah, do you know him?"

For a moment she didn't answer, staring off into the distance with something like a conflicted look on her face. She looked hopeful, worried, and disbelieving all at the same time.

"I…I thought he was dead." There was a pause, and then Larine suddenly slammed her fist against the log she was sitting on. A loud crack resounded from it as a fissure appeared in the bark. I nearly jumped at the sound, surprised at her sudden move. "Dang it, that moron!"

"What's wrong?"

"He…he…!" She gritted her teeth, suddenly looking pretty pissed off. "If I see him again, I'm gonna pulverize him!" I repeated my inquiry, but Larine merely shook her head. "I need to find Kai. Now that I know that idiot's alive, I need to change my plans…"

_I didn't think you _had_ plans to begin with, _I grumbled. _Wonder how they know each other…?_

I let Larine mutter to herself a little while longer, since it was pretty clear that she wasn't going to elaborate anymore on that topic. I picked up an outlying branch next to the campfire and started poking at the tinder, watching the flames flare angrily as I rearranged the sticks.

"Alright, Swift, I'm coming with you to Fuchsia."

"Huh?" Larine was sitting up straighter now, a determined look on her face.

"If what you said was true, then it's quite likely that your friends are with Kai, wherever that may be. However, that also means that finding them will be pretty difficult."

"And why is that?"

"Clan Seigen's been trying to get Kai to join them for quite a while now, either willfully or by force doesn't matter to them. You see, he's is a rather powerful Guardian, although when you last saw him he was probably in a weakened state. Still, if you haven't figured it out yet, his innate is the ability to manipulate shadows, and he can become a part of them if he wants to. Because of it, he's become apt at hiding from Clan Seigen. If your friends _are_ with him, finding them won't be an easy task."

"That doesn't explain why you want to come with me to Fuchsia."

"No," Larine agreed, sighing, "but if either of us want to find who we're looking for, the best way to go would be to find Clan Seigen itself, and it's suicide to attempt that with only one person. Clan Seigen has more resources than any other criminal organization preceding it, and I'm sure they're using a great bulk of it to get what they want."

"As in numbers?" I queried. I continued to prod the flames for a little while longer, and then dropped the branch into the kindling as it caught fire.

"People, Pokémon, Exceeds, you name it. There's a chance we might run into a small detachment of them in Fuchsia, or in any other city, really, but the point I'm trying to make is that there's probably a few patrols out there looking for Kai even as we speak, and there's always a chance that they have an idea as to where his current location is."

"So you want to start looking in Fuchsia?" I concluded. Larine nodded briskly. I found myself agreeing with her logic; it was relevant and made sense. Maybe having Larine around wasn't so bad after all, and it wasn't long before I made up my mind about her accompaniment. "Alright then, tomorrow, we head for Fuchsia."

* * *

I felt like I'd been hibernating for a whole year when we finally emerged on Route 18 the following day. It felt like it had been forever since I had last seen the open country side, vibrant and lively under the sunlight compared to the darkness of the forest floor far beneath Cycling Road. I was glad to finally be able to see the clouds and the sky without spindly branches obstructing my view everywhere I went; it was a simple freedom, but one that I suddenly found myself all the more grateful for.

From where we emerged, it didn't take us long to find the gatehouse leading into Fuchsia, which was a simple, yellow-stoned building with a panel of windows ringing its second floor and a pair of brick-red double doors marking its entrance. Everything about it seemed normal, until we spotted something outside of the complex that stopped us from advancing any further.

Standing on either side of the gatehouse were two men, both dressed in black. By their spiked pauldrons and gold insignias, I immediately recognized them as members of Clan Seigen. I shot a glance at Larine, who returned the look before fixing her gaze on the two guards. As we proceeded to the doors of the gatehouse, a gruff voice from one of the sentinels ordered, "Hold it right there!"

We stopped, trying to assume an innocent demeanor as the men glared at us suspiciously.

"Who are you, and why're you trying to get in?" the same guard snarled, looking down at us from above his stubbly beard. I couldn't help but feel annoyed at the question; it was hard to believe that there were people in the world who were ignorant of the fact that kids travelled around the region with their Pokémon.

"We're Trainers and we want to get to the Pokémon Center to rest up," Larine responded, calm and composed. "Please let us through."

"'Please let us through'," the second man mocked, sniffing contemptuously. "Ya hear that? This one's got manners. Since when did kids talk like that, huh?"

"Beats me," the first guard said with disgust. I wanted to sock him in the face.

"We're not here to cause trouble," Larine added, keeping her cool. "We just want to stock up and take a break from travelling."

"What, you can't handle the great outdoors? Are you sure you're Trainers?" Complacent smiles spread across both of their faces. They were clearly enjoying this, which only got on my nerves all the more.

"If you're just going to sit there like a pair of Slowpoke waiting to have their tails chopped off, why don't you just step aside and stop wasting our time?" I spat. The sentinels laughed, adopting haughty expressions on their faces.

"Ooh we've got a feisty one here. Think you can beat us just because there are two of us and two of you? I'd bet my _Pokémon _could defeat all of yours without so much as lifting a finger! I'd hate to pick a fight with a pipsqueak though, so you'd better move along before someone gets hurt."

"That someone," I growled darkly, cracking my knuckles "is going to be you." There was an immediate pause as the two guards finally began to digest what I was saying and realized that I was serious. After a moment, they both grinned maniacally, not even bothering to conceal their arrogance.

"Ha! This _amateur _thinks she can beat us!"

"What a joke."

As they spoke they both drew Poké Balls from their belts, malicious gleams in their eyes. I glanced inquiringly at Larine, silently requesting to take them out on my own. She nodded indifferently, taking a few steps back as I selected the fifth Poké Ball on my belt. Meanwhile the men summoned their partners, calling out their names as the Poké Balls burst open with flashes of light. The figures that emerged were both bipedal and humanoid, one shorter than the other. The taller Pokémon, a Machoke, had muscles rippling underneath its blue-gray skin, and wore nothing other than what appeared to be briefs and a wrestling belt. Its companion, a Hitmonchan, had tan-colored skin and the appearance and posture of a boxer.

_Don't they know that sending out two Pokémon of the same type makes them more vulnerable to super-effective attacks?_ I wondered, surprised at the simple combination. It was an elementary principle of double battles, save for Trainers who only specialized in raising one type of Pokémon. _They probably think they can win._ I had to admit, both Fighting types looked pretty impressive for mere grunts, and would probably prove more than a match for tyro Trainers. Unfortunately for them, they weren't facing an amateur.

"En garde, Fearow."

I don't believe I've mentioned my newest addition to my team yet, which is, in fact, a Fearow. The Beak Pokémon emerged from her Poké Ball, hovering above the ground silently except for the occasional wing beat. Her body was streamlined and encased entirely with chestnut feathers, except for her large talons and fringes of pale, dusky brown down sticking out from behind her shoulder blades and lining the edges of her wings. A red crest spiked up from the top of her skull, aligned with her long, narrow beak.

"Heh, going for the type advantage?" the first guard sneered. I didn't react; I would have my satisfaction from defeating them soon enough. "Hitmonchan, show them your Thunder Punch!"

"Give it a good Cross Chop!"

I examined the two Pokémon. They were as impressive as they had seemed; electricity crackled wildly from the Hitmonchan's fist, which was pulled close to its owner's chest in preparation to launch. I noticed how the Machoke charged at Fearow as well, swinging its arms in a rhythmic manner that would allow it to exert more force in its Cross Chop once it reached its target. All that I saw, but I wasn't in the least bit intimidated by their skill.

"Aerial Ace."

A rush of wind accompanied the streak of brown and white that appeared almost spontaneously, deterring only twice from the line it travelled in before Fearow returned to her primary position. After that split second, howls of pain went up from the two Fighting types, who stumbled back as though struck by an invisible force.

"Drill Peck."

The Beak Pokémon–as the species was aptly named–vanished in another blur, reappearing suddenly right in front of the Machoke and jabbing repeatedly at its chest with her deadly beak. As the Superpower Pokémon fell, she whirled around with a graceful flap of her wings and did the same to Hitmonchan, delivering powerful blows with each hit. By the time both Fighting types were down, the Flying type had already assumed her original pose.

"Thirty-five seconds," Larine commented, glancing down her watch. The guards gaped at the spectacle, their previous confidence now replaced with a disbelieving astonishment.

"H-h-how….?"

"Who….who are you?" the first guard inquired with a quavering voice. It was obvious that their high-and-mighty attitude had now all but vanished.

"Trainers," Larine repeated flatly, a threatening edge in her voice. "Now step aside."

The two hesitated, and then hurriedly withdrew their Pokémon, fleeing through the gatehouse and shooting abhorrent looks over their shoulders.

"You'll pay for this," the second man hissed, and then the door to the gatehouse swung shut behind him.

"Cowards," I muttered, turning to Fearow. I rewarded the Flying type with a quick scratch underneath her chin, to which she nipped at my fingers in response. I was glad to have her as an addition to my team, as her flowing movements and fierce attacks made her a naturally skilled battler. In a way, it was by luck that I had been able to acquire her as a partner, since Larine had wanted me to capture a Pokémon for one of our lessons. The purpose of that lesson had been to understand the bond between a Guardian and his or her Pokémon, and how aura affected that relationship. From it, I learned that aura helped improve understanding between person and Pokémon, and thus Fearow and I quickly became acquainted.

"You're not much better than they are with that ego of yours," Larine remarked, nodding in the direction the two guards had fled. I grunted in response. "Well then, shall we go?"

We proceeded into Fuchsia, slightly more alert now due to our previous encounter. The city was nestled comfortably at the foothills of some low-ranging mountains, with the sea flanking it to the south. Modest, oriental-themed buildings clustered the streets, few topping the height of two stories. It was a humble settlement, it seemed, contrasting all of my previous expectations for the home of the Safari Zone. The attraction supposedly made the place a huge tourist site, drawing in Trainers from all over the world who wanted to get a glimpse of some of Kanto's rarest Pokémon. Because of that, I had been lead to think that Fuchsia would be a giant, bustling metropolis, much like Celadon or Vermillion but not quite as big. Still, there were quite a number of people loitering about the city…along with another sight that I definitely had not expected to see.

Every now and then, one or two men outfitted in Clan Seigen's uniform could be seen mingling with the locals, doing nothing in particular except appearing nonchalant as they strolled about. The people around them seemed wary of their presence, pausing in their conversations as they walked by and resuming them in frantic murmurs once they had passed. I cast a look at Larine, and she returned a guarded expression, quickening her stride. She seemed just as alarmed as I was at the situation. I knew she would have more to say once we reached the Pokémon Center.

Upon arriving at the ubiquitous red-roofed building, I noticed that the atmosphere was unusually tense, where in other Pokémon Centers the lobby would be lively and full of noise. Trainers huddled in small groups, talking in low voices and looking about as though a specter would appear over their shoulder at any minute. Even the Pokémon seemed low-spirited, sticking as close to their Trainers as possible.

_Something's not right here,_ I observed, putting into words what I had already thought the minute I saw the two sentinels standing by the gate. It was as though Clan Seigen's very presence was making everyone uptight.

"Welcome to the Pokémon Center, how may I help you?" The Nurse Joy at the counter seemed to force a small smile, which was yet another sign that my hunch was correct. Almost all Nurse Joys were bright and cheery, but this one seemed tired and worn out, as though she hadn't slept for days.

"We'd like our Pokémon healed, please," Larine offered, pushing two trays towards the nurse with our Poké Balls mounted on top. Nurse Joy inclined her head, and motioned for one of her Chansey to take the trays. The chubby pink Pokémon whisked them away without the usual "Chan!" of greeting and strutted off towards the healing machines. "We'd also like to book a room."

Nurse Joy complied rather sullenly, registering us and giving us our key cards without saying much. Finally, Larine seemed to have become so irked by the gloomy atmosphere that she asked, "Nurse Joy, what's going on around here? Why does everyone seem so…_down_?"

The nurse sighed, bracing herself against the desk as though answering us might consume all of her strength.

"Those strangers dressed in black…ever since they arrived in Fuchsia everyone's been feeling a little…anxious."

"Why? Did they say what they were here for?"

"They said they were here to 'beef up security' because of all the criminal organizations that have popped up within the past two decades. But if you ask me,"–here she crossed her arms–"I'd say _they're_ the ones who're criminals. No one feels safe with them around, and the police can't do anything because they haven't done anything incriminating as of yet. Everyone thinks they're suspicious, though."

_Who wouldn't?_ I wondered, conjuring up an image of Clan Seigen's black outfit complete with shoulder guards and head bands. If that wasn't suspicious, I didn't know what was.

Our Poké Balls came back from the healing machines, and we thanked Nurse Joy for her help. Then Larine and I retreated to our room, where the first thing we did was throw our packs on the floor and exchange similar looks with one another.

"Something's going on here," Larine said darkly, "and we need to find out what it is."

I felt my fists clenching. Even though I had spent two weeks mastering my ability to control aura, I wasn't so sure that I would be ready to face whatever oddities Clan Seigen's presence might throw my way. Heck, I hadn't even expected to run into them so soon, let alone what appeared to be the size of their force in Fuchsia. Whatever they were doing, I had a bad feeling that things were about to take a turn for the worse.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Hey guys, sorry for the extra-late update. Writer's block, school, and the usual have been keeping me busy lately (no surprise there), so I sat down the first chance I got and finished this chapter for you guys :) It's kind of a choppy chapter, but I really wanted to kick things off a bit after all those relatively boring scenes. If we're lucky, I might be able to get the next chapter done faster because of Thanksgiving break (yay!), but we'll have to see about that.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, I want to thank all of my readers and reviewers for reading and/or reviewing; writing isn't possible without you guys :)


	21. Chapter 20: Lurking in the Darkness

**Chapter 20: Lurking in the Darkness**

We spent the rest of that day restocking our supplies and attempting to recuperate, which was rather difficult with the situation at hand. After eating a grim breakfast the next morning, Larine surprised me by saying, "Let's split up and try to get as much information as we can—find out what Clan Seigen's doing here and whether or not they know where Kai is." She flashed me a look, one that I had seen all too often during our training. "I trust you to not do anything stupid."

"I won't," I promised, hoping that that was true.

"And also, if you're stuck in a situation where you have no other choice but to fight, do _not_ do anything suspicious or anything that will reveal the fact that you're a Guardian. If you do, and news of it reaches the higher ranks of Clan Seigen, then we're as good as dead, got it?"

Her words weren't comforting; in fact, they made me almost reluctant to leave our room in case anything _did_ happen. I started to voice my objections, but Larine interrupted me by saying that if Guardians had spent their whole lives cowering in their houses out of fear, then they might as well have never existed.

Oh that's right, I'm a Guardian now.

I didn't feel any assurance in knowing that, either—in fact, I felt even more vulnerable to the hostile eyes of Clan Seigen now more than ever. Their presence had created a new kind of anxiety in me, the likes of which I hadn't felt in years and was afraid to feel. I liked to think of myself as a person with nerves of steel—afraid of nothing (except for falling) and no one except fear itself. But now I felt as though those nerves were melting—that I had bitten off way more than I could chew and that there was no way to spit out what was in my mouth. Grumbling my protests to Larine only resulted in more indirect insults to my pride, and farther deepened the pit that was forming in my stomach, so in the end I kept my mouth shut and let my anxiety wallow around in my mind as I set off towards the western end of town.

"En garde, Eevee." The furry brown Pokémon emerged from the confines of his Poké Ball, poised and ready for battle until he realized that there were no opponents, and glanced inquiringly back up at me.

"We're not battling now," I explained, "just going for a walk." Eevee flicked an ear, as though in annoyance, but otherwise did not complain, falling in step at my heels. After that fortnight with Larine, Eevee seemed to be more obedient than ever, listening to my commands without resistance...save for his few _egotistical_ moments (as Larine called them).

Fuchsia had a nice, demure atmosphere about it during the mid-morning hours, which helped relieve my uneasiness. Most, if not all, businesses appeared to have already opened, the shop owners already occupied with their many customers. I was almost surprised at the number of people littering the streets; in Pallet Town, hardly anyone would be up at this time, except for the usual rush hour crowd and the Dodrio up at Professor Oak's place that crowed at the sunrise whenever it wasn't raining. What caught my attention, once again, was the historical theme that the place seemed to maintain even though it was clear that technology had long since taken over; some of the pedestrians and the majority of the shop owners had donned traditional kimonos in the fashion of which mimicked the time period that the buildings around them reflected. It almost felt like travelling back in time.

As I walked through the quaint city, I also kept a lookout for members of Clan Seigen; they weren't hard to spot in their black garb, which was obnoxiously prominent among the sea of colorful cloth. There didn't seem to be as many of them as there were yesterday, though, which bugged me for some reason. Maybe my anxiety had caused me to believe that there were more of them than there actually were, but it was hard to be sure.

_Maybe they're just not morning people_, I deduced, more to assure myself than anything else. On several occasions Eevee spotted them from afar and bristled, growling in anger as he prepared to attack. It took multiple attempts to persuade him to hold his footing, for if he unleashed his fury now it would be a dead giveaway to our presence and the fact that he was an Exceed (a fact which I often overlooked). Having had experiments performed on him couldn't have been an easy ordeal for Eevee, and I understood his reasons for hating Clan Seigen better than almost anything else. Still, his outrage could easily become our demise, and I wasn't about to put him in danger again.

Fortunately, the Normal type relented.

Exploring Fuchsia consumed most of my day. I eavesdropped on many of the grunts' conversations, but couldn't discern anything useful from them; they mostly consisted of idle chatter concerning insignificant topics: a boast here and there about their Pokémon or looks, a complaint every now and then about not getting enough sleep and how tacky their uniforms were…etc. Either they had no mission in Fuchsia, or it wasn't very important. Or maybe it was so important that they had to act normal in order to conceal it. I hoped it wasn't the latter.

Hunger kicked in around midday and we were forced to stop for a meal. We found ourselves a nice restaurant with a large pavilion attached to its side for eating under, which followed along with the ancient setting. The air was comfy and boisterous, with lights shooing away the soft shadows under the structure and the chattering clamor of voices lulling me to immerse myself in its warmth. We seated ourselves at an empty table, and an equally cheery waitress came and took our orders. The minute our food arrived we began to gorge ourselves on the dumplings, ramen, and fish balls that the restaurant supposedly specialized in—they were delicious.

_Now _that_ was a good meal._ I reclined in my seat, tilting the chair so that its forelegs left the ground—an action that would've earned me a scolding from Kamryn. Come to think of it, I hadn't thought much of my aunt ever since I'd left Pallet, and nor had I thought of calling her to let her know how I was doing or to ask how Tracey had been after the "incident". _Some friend I am,_ I muttered. I considered giving them a call when I got back to the Pokémon Center, but held the idea at bay. I wasn't so sure how the conversation would turn out, and I didn't want to accidentally mention the whole mess about Clan Seigen. Maybe I didn't want to call her because she had exiled me to Almia for so many years. I didn't want to hold a grudge–or even seem like I had been holding a grudge–but I also didn't want Kamryn and everyone else to worry about me and the fact that I had gotten separated from Lance and Riley. No, I wouldn't call them.

"Eeee," Eevee growled, lifting his head from his bowl. His pelt bristled as he watched something in the distance, his doe-shaped eyes narrowing.

"What's wrong?" I asked, already following his gaze. It didn't take long for me to spot what had upset him: two men dressed in Clan Seigen's attire had ducked into the restaurant, seating themselves at a table not far from ours. _They just _had_ to eat here didn't they?_ I grumbled. I slid my chair over so that my back was facing them and so that I would be close enough to hear what they might say—I might as well listen in to their conversation while they were here. After a few minutes of eavesdropping, though, their words proved to be no more useful than the words of the other grunts I had listened to. _This is pointless, _I sighed, exasperated. Eevee continued to glare at them, his fur remaining erect as though it were made of stone. "Eevee, don't stare; it's not nice," I chided. The Normal type seemed to snicker–an expression I thought only humans were capable of making–before slowly settling back down to finish his meal. I slouched in my seat and let my head loll back idly, eyes captivated by the motion of a whirring ceiling fan overhead.

"…and yeah, so I was like, 'Take this! Flamethrower!'" A haughty laugh resounded from behind me. "Wiped 'em all out in an instant."

"Amateurs," his companion sneered, and I could imagine him shaking his head in disgust. "They're all bark and no bite."

"You got that right; there's no way some little kid's gonna defeat someone of _our_ level, eh?" There was a pause as the man slurped from his drink, exhaling pleasurably as he slammed his glass down on the table with a loud _thunk_. "Won't be seein' those little kiddies around town."

I clenched my fists discreetly. If I was right, then Larine and I hadn't been the only ones who had trouble entering Fuchsia, and it wasn't fair that amateur Trainers couldn't gain entry simply because of their inexperience. I made a mental note to let Hisa fry them alive if I got the chance.

"I'm assuming, then, that things at the Gym are going smoothly as well…?"

"Heh. Would you expect anything less after what I just told you?"

"I…suppose not."

_The Gym? _I echoed, nearly starting with surprise but restraining the urge to in order to maintain discretion. _What would they want from the Gym? I'm pretty sure they're not here to get a Badge—that would be a pretty pathetic mission for Clan Seigen._

I waited a little longer to see if the conversation would reveal anything else about Clan Seigen's goals. When it did not, I paid my bill and left the restaurant, making my way towards the Gym. The road leading towards it branched off from the street that lead to the Pokémon Center, snaking its way into a thin patch of trees. The asphalt abruptly ended at the edge of the forest, and the only thing that kept me from getting lost was a worn, cobblestone path that was partially covered with dirt and weeds growing out from between the cracks. I shuddered inwardly, feeling as though the trees were watching my every movement—I knew the Fuchsia Gym had been renowned for its Leaders' ninja-like characteristics, but I didn't think simply walking up to it would feel so…menacing. The quietude of the place only added to the feeling of ominousness that was building up inside of me; it was unusual for the wilderness to have such a dead air–at the very least there should've been the chirp or squawk of a Pidgey of Spearow–and that oddity made me all the more alert of my surroundings.

I wasn't surprised to find that the Fuchsia Gym sat in a hollow, well concealed if not for the fact that there was a path leading up to its doors. The building was small compared to the other Gyms I had been to, but larger than many of those in Fuchsia. It reiterated the oriental theme of the town, though, its green roof blending in well with the surrounding foliage and its wooden doors accompanied by an exotic-looking archway that seemed almost frighteningly elegant. The only thing about the structure that looked even a little non-stealth-oriented was the simple sign nailed above the doorframe that read "GYM".

_Looks like they really take the whole "ninja" thing seriously,_ I mused. _Hope the place isn't booby-trapped like people say it is…_

In the end, it turned out I had something much more than booby traps to worry about: as I reached the edge of the depression that the Gym sat in, I spotted two shadowy figures flanking the sides of the entrance, both bearing the marks of Clan Seigen. I groaned mentally, frustrated with their presence. _Do they have to guard every single door in existence? They'll be posting guards at the bathrooms soon!_

I wouldn't have been surprised if that actually happened.

I descended the slope towards the Gym, wondering whether or not I could get in by pretending to be an ordinary Trainer who wanted to challenge the Gym. I deemed it unlikely, though.

The sentinels glanced up as I approached, but did not make a move to stop me as the ones yesterday had done. Instead, the one on the right simply said, "Gym's closed for today—come back tomorrow."

"Closed?" I echoed, feigning astonishment. "How come?"

"The Leader is a bit preoccupied at the moment," the second guard answered, picking his words carefully. "She won't be free until tomorrow."

"Oh," I said, sounding more disappointed than I had anticipated, "I see…"

"Run along now, kid."

I obeyed–surprisingly without reluctance–and thanked the guards as they resumed their original positions. _They're definitely hiding something…but what? Ack, Larine could probably figure it out…of all times for her to be elsewhere. _Larine had said we wouldn't meet back at the Pokémon Center until dinnertime, and that was still a few hours away. Should I risk storming the Gym on my own? I probably couldn't do it without making a big show of things, so it would probably be better if I did not. Again I found myself despising my inability to take action.

As I made my way back to town, I noticed that I was no longer the only person using the path through the forest. Coming from the opposite direction was another figure, adolescent and dressed entirely in black. By its build, I assumed that the person was a guy, with a hood concealing the better part of his face. _The way people dress these days, _I muttered, and would've shaken my head if not for the fact that he could've seen it. A chain hung from the boy's cargo pants, which seemed unusually bright compared to the rest of his attire. He had Trainer gloves covering his hands, much like mine, except on him they seemed more prominently dark. _Maybe he specializes in Dark types…_

I quickened my stride, wanting to get away from the kid as soon as possible; it would be almost _unnatural_ not to feel edgy around someone like him.

"How was it?"

The voice stopped me dead in my tracks; it was cool and arrogant, like the hiss of an Ekans. I peered up at the stranger, who had now paused and was looking in my direction—or so I assumed from the orientation of his hood. From what I could see, the guy had bleach-white hair that was barely visible underneath the edge of the cloth, his eyes piercing though I couldn't determine their color.

"How was what?"

"Your Gym battle—how was it?"

I was almost flummoxed at the simplicity of the question. "Couldn't get in—the Gym's closed."

"Is it?" He sounded genuinely surprised, but it was hard to tell since I couldn't read his facial expression from underneath his hood. "Well that's unexpected. Better luck next time, eh?"

Something about his statement unsettled me, though I wasn't sure why. He began to resume his route down to the Gym, until I said, "Where are you going? I told you, the Gym's closed."

I shiver ran down my spine as the Trainer uttered a short, coarse laugh, walking on without so much as a pause.

"Closed?" he echoed. "We'll see about that."

I continued to watch, perplexed, until instinct compelled me to return to Fuchsia. Whatever that kid was up to, I certainly didn't want to stay and watch.

_This place is filled with such strange people..._

* * *

Larine returned to the Pokémon Center an hour after I did, looking edgy and squint-eyed. We ate a quick dinner together at the cafeteria before retiring to our room to discuss our findings, which Larine seemed rather eager to share about. Before we started, however, we double-checked to make sure the curtains were pulled securely together and that the door and windows were shut tight to prevent any prying ears from eavesdropping on our conversation.

"So, did you find anything?" Larine dropped cross-legged onto the lower bunk of her bed, glancing inquiringly at me with almost-mellow eyes.

"Not much," I replied, feeling troubled as I recalled what I _did_ learn, "but I think Clan Seigen's occupying the Gym for some reason—they have guards at the doors and they're not letting anyone in, even Trainers. I tried to get some details out of them, but their lips are sealed."

Larine nodded in a way that made me believe she hadn't heard a single word that I had said. She sighed abstractedly, then said, "Well, I guess I was slightly more fortunate: I followed a pair of grunts to the harbor, and discovered that they have a ship anchored at the docks. It's not surprising, I guess, since they had to get here _somehow_, but what's really fishy to me is the reason why they would pick that mode of transportation."

"What's wrong with travelling by boat?"

"Think about it, Swift: why would Clan Seigen use a boat when there are other, more convenient ways to travel? An airplane, for example: they could touch down and take off whenever they wanted, and it would be faster if they needed a quick escape route. Plus, if they were going to get chased down, it would be harder for Pokémon to keep up with it…so why a ship?"

I had to admit, Larine had a point, but I couldn't see why that was relevant to the reason why Clan Seigen was in Fuchsia. "You don't have any ideas?"

"A few, but…none that are…feasible, to me at least. One is that they're just here to restock their supplies, which is highly unlikely considering the reason that they gave for being in the city. Second is that, if you're right and they're occupying the Gym, they're after the Badge, which really wouldn't do anything for them, even if it's made of auracite―"

"Auracite?" Larine paused to frown at my inquiry, then explained, "It's a special kind of stone that has the ability to absorb aura. It's powerless and worthless on its own, but if refined the right way it allows a person to enhance their aura and gain moderate control over it. Badges are refined differently–its potential isn't common information among the general public–but it retains the ability to enhance the aura of Pokémon just slightly. Of course, everyone else thinks your Pokémon become stronger and listen to you more just from the feat of winning in itself; but that's just what they _think_ is true."

"Aura creates bonds between people and Pokémon," I recited almost subconsciously, "the deeper the bond, the deeper the understanding, and the stronger people and Pokémon will grow."

"Very good!" Larine laughed, an amused twinkle in her eye. Looks like her days spent drilling information into my head hadn't been for nothing. It made me realize just how much I had learned, but at the same time more aware of just how much I _didn't_ know. "But you know you don't need to memorize my _exact_ words."

I glared at her. "_Now_ you tell me? Why'd you make me repeat everything you said a hundred times every day?"

A demonic smile. "Just because."

"And all those ridiculous stances and positions….?"

She winked, earning another glare. "Well, those were just the easiest ways to channel aura through your body—I would've had to teach you that either way, since it's a basic element in learning how to use your powers, but once you get the hang of controlling it, memorizing the names and stances isn't necessary." I could almost feel the venom in my own stare; even with no one watching, executing those awkward poses made me feel like some cheesy superhero from a childhood cartoon. It would've been even more humiliating if Lance and Riley had seen it, and for that, I was grateful for their absence. "Anyway, where was I?"

"Badges are made of auracite," I mumbled, rolling my eyes as my irritation slowly abated.

"Right. Clan Seigen's used auracite for their Exceed experiments in the past, but they've recently found ways to create Exceeds without using the stone, so I don't think stealing a Badge would benefit them in any way. Besides, I'm sure one of their grunts would be capable enough of winning a Badge by him or herself, so they wouldn't need to take over the Gym just for that. The last and most likely reason why they would come to Fuchsia on a ship would be because of the Seafoam Islands." The name seemed to drop heavily from her mouth as she said it, weighing down the mood with its grimness. I stared incomprehensively at Larine for a full five seconds before stirring.

"The Seafoam Islands? Why would they come here for _that_?" Despite my query, I had a feeling that I knew all too well what they could be after, except the idea was so farfetched that I had to confirm my suspicions.

"You don't know? There's no way that you _can't_ know, Swift: the answer's so obvious."

I took a breath. "You mean…Articuno?"

"Yes, exactly. I only doubt this motive because of how clichéd it is…it's not like Clan Seigen to go after such banal goal. Besides, it's hopeless trying to capture a Legendary; I'm positive even a Guardian couldn't do it, much less a mob of grunts. They don't even have the ambition to go after something like that, as far as I know of anyway."

"Okay, so if they're not going after any of those things, then what _are_ they going after?"

"I don't know!" Larine exclaimed, exasperated. I jumped, surprised at her sudden outburst. It wasn't like her to just snap so suddenly–from what I knew about her, she seemed like a calm, ordinarily rational person with a few quirks here and there. The conversation lapsed into silence as we both mulled over the situation. Whatever reasons I _could_ come up with for Clan Seigen's taking over of the Gym and using a ship for transportation were immediately discarded, as they were all too irrational, clichéd, or just didn't fit in with the problem at hand. The more I thought about it, the more it dawned up on me of just how little I knew about Clan Seigen, and that was all due to Larine's stubborn secrecy. I debated whether or not I should push her for more answers, but after catching a glimpse of the engrossed look on her face, I cast the idea from my mind. I had tried to prompt some answers from her during the first week of my training, but my attempts were always fruitless. Thinking about it, I didn't know Larine very well either—I didn't know where she came from, how she had acquired her powers, how she knew of Clan Seigen, etc.

_Why am I doing this? I'm stuck with a girl whom I've known for two weeks, and now we're thinking about what a potential criminal organization might do with a ship and a Gym. And there's Guardians to boot! I must be going crazy..._

"...Um…Swift? Are you listening?"

"Yeah," I responded hastily, the volume of my voice betraying my attempt to conceal my distraction. I cleared my mind and focused on Larine, who flashed a puzzled look at me.

"…Okay, so as I was saying, if we're going to find out what's going on, the best thing to do would be to investigate the Gym. But obviously, they're not going to just let us stroll in through the front doors―"

"So we barge in?" I concluded, a demonic smile spreading across my face. I could quite easily imagine Rhyhorn barreling through the front door and destroying everything in sight.

"No," Larine said flatly, rolling her eyes. "Haven't you listened to _anything_ I said these past two weeks?" I looked down, feeling foolish. Of course, I had already known better, but Larine had spent a good portion of our time providing details of potential situations that I might find myself faced with as a Guardian. Some of them were about infiltrating bases or buildings, and I had primarily taken that information to be rather outlandish—but now I was starting to realize why Larine had taught me all of that. "We're going to sneak into the Gym once it's dark. If we're lucky, we can get in and out without anyone noticing. Hopefully, they're still there by the time we get there, or else we won't have anything else to do but stowaway on their ship—which I would prefer to avoid."

"Why?"

"_Because_ there might not be anywhere to hide—Clan Seigen doesn't know the layout of their Gym as well as the layout of their ship. There might also be Guardians and Exceeds present that we might not know about, and if they sense our aura we won't be able to avoid a confrontation."

"Isn't that just as likely to happen in the Gym too?" I queried. Larine exhaled deeply, giving me an impatient look.

"Yes, but this is our best shot as of right now…unless you have a better idea…?"

"No."

"Do you have any more questions?"

"…No."

"Then that's that."

* * *

"Ow!"

"Oops."

"Watch your step!"

"Sorry."

I followed a fuming Larine through the undergrowth, her figure a bare silhouette against the surrounding darkness as she slid stealthily through the frondescence as though it were clear as day. I, on the other hand, stumbled half-blind through it all, running unexpectedly into tree trunks and–more than once–nearly falling as the ground suddenly sloped downward.

"Shh!" Larine hissed somewhere up ahead. "Use your aura sight!"

"I can't! And you know I can't!"

"Then feel your way around!"

"There's nothing to feel!"

The girl subsided into grumbles and proceeded forward. Aura sight was a Guardian technique in which one uses their aura to locate their surroundings. Larine had mentioned it only briefly during our training, saying that it was a rather advanced skill. She had attempted to teach me how to use it, but after finding that I had no talent for it, she gave up. Part of me wished she had kept trying–it would've been useful now–but I hadn't understood its mechanics no matter how many times she'd explained it to me.

_Close your eyes and relax,_ she had said. _Let your aura expand on its own until you can feel everything around you._

I shut my eyes and meditated. Then I took a tentative step forward. Nothing happened, so I took another step. Then another. I grinned.

_Hey, maybe this—_

My foot struck a hard object, and my body pitched forward. My face plummeted into a net of brambles, and then my mood soured.

_—is utterly useless._

"Swift? What're you waiting for?"

I scrambled to my feet and caught up to Larine as fast as possible, grateful that it was dark so that Larine wouldn't be able to see the embarrassed look on my face. We continued on for a little longer before Larine abruptly crouched, motioning for me to do the same. I lowered myself behind some shrubs, and spontaneously recognized the hollow in which the Gym lay. In the moonlight, the contours of the building's roof was barely visible in the shadows; I probably wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't known what to look for.

"Do you see any entrances besides the front one?"

"Larine, I can't even see myself."

"Alright then."

A pause ensued, and I assumed that Larine was using her powers–her _innate_–to scan the area. From what I gathered, her abilities were a more complex version of aura sight, which involved her reaching out with her mind to detect other people and objects and "move" them according to her will. That, as she explained, was how she had put Sir Abelard and his men to sleep—by "tinkering with their internal mechanisms".

"Seems like there's a back door, but I think it's hidden," she reported at last. "We might set off some traps or alarms if we try to go in that way, so it would be better if we just went through the front."

"Okay, so how're we going to get in?" I heard Larine suck in her breath, and could imagine her eyes narrowing as she considered the question. As she thought, my eyes wandered to the golden staff-pin that glinted in her hair, dazzling in the murkiness of the night.

"Well, I suppose the most discreet way would be to put the guards to sleep, and then we could sneak in through the doors and―"

"Why hello my _friends_."

A chill shot concurrently up my spine as I spun around in alarm. My heart pounded with the inability to make anything out of the imposing gloom, except for the faint outline of what I thought was an eerily white and terrible smile. A split second later, a burst of pain accompanied the blow that hit me upside the head, and the smile suddenly vanished.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Ugh, I haven't written cliff hangers in so long...I feel like this one didn't come out all that great. :/ I kind of felt like this chapter was really choppy and...fractured, too, I guess you could say. No show of Swift's new powers yet...but don't worry, they'll start appearing next chapter. :D As for the full extent of Swift's training, I'm going to cover that as this part of the story goes along and more of what she's learned starts coming into play. Hopefully, my writing skills will improve with the next update (as well as my updating speed =.=).

That's all for now! Have a nice day and enjoy writing (if you _are_ writing)! :D


	22. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

Hey guys! Sorry to disappoint you with this, but I'll be putting TAC on hiatus for a while. No, I am **NOT** quitting—I just need to take a break to collect my thoughts and get some work done. I've had a lot of work to do from school lately, especially with finals coming up and the start of the new semester (during which I start my harder courses), and I honestly have had no inspiration to write. That, along with the fact that I can't figure out how the story should go next is really making it impossible for me to update at the moment. I may end up finishing the drafts for the story first before actually updating the chapters—that way, I can update weekly without having to rush to complete the next part. Either way, I won't be updating for a while; at least until I can get something done. I appreciate all your support thus far as readers, and again I apologize. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome, but please, nothing involving OCs. See you guys around!


	23. Author's Note Updated

**Author's Note (Updated 6/15/12)**

Hey guys it's been a while! Sorry to disappoint you with another author's note, but I'm not officially back from my hiatus yet (although school _is_ just about over). There _are_ a few things I want to update you guys on though.

First of all, I may not get to update TAC for a while (yeah, I know it's taking long) for a few reasons. One is because I have summer assignments that need completing, and another is because my parents are all on my back about studying for SATs (rolls eyes). A lot of my weekends for the first half of summer vacation are booked too, and I'll be scheduled for volunteering at the library during the week. And if you've checked my profile,you can probably guess by my age that I'm going to be a junior next year in high school, which only makes it harder for me to find the time to write. I'll work on TAC whenenver I can, but don't expect anything to be up anytime soon.

Second, when I _do_ get around to updating, I **may** make major changes in the storyline which I will inform you of _if_ it comes to be. There are some aspects of the plot that conflict with one another and make it difficult for me to move on with writing. If it comes to that, I'll replace this author's note with a full summary of the revamped storyline before posting the next chapter. Please note that this is _only_ a possibility. It might not happen.

Third, I'm sure you've all seen the new image manager. ^-^ I've been waiting for something like this to show up on so I could make some fan art for my fic. Fortunately, I draw much faster than I write (I guess that's not really a good thing...), so in a few days or so I might have the cover for TAC posted. (;

Fourth, (this author's note is getting really long o.o) I might change my username. Don't know for sure, but I'm thinking about it.

Well that's all for now. Half of you are probably mad at me but eh, it can't be helped. Until next time, see ya! (;


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